


Heaven Goodbye

by Oikawaii



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Fluff and Angst, Gen, Implied Suicidal Thoughts/Attempts, Kidnapping, M/M, Oikawa is neurotic, Slow Build, So much angst, Torture, Unethical Experimentation, android!hinata, cyborg AU, cyborg!kageyama, cyborg!kenma, cyborg!kuroo, cyborg!oikawa, cyborg!ushijima, i mean really slow, implied biphobia, iwaoi is endgame, mute!kenma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-11
Updated: 2018-05-21
Packaged: 2018-07-14 09:00:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 22
Words: 32,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7164623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oikawaii/pseuds/Oikawaii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"For someone who values humanity as much as you do, you seem to forget you're very much human."<br/>Oikawa seemed focused on the tiny droplets of blood rising from a cut on his left palm, "Only forty percent..."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Where it All Goes Wrong

**Author's Note:**

> This is a little story I've been working on for the past month or so now and I figured what better time to post it than on Iwa's birthday? (even if there is like ten minutes left). Anywho, this is my first fic! Be gentle ;-; 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy! Thanks for reading!

The hallways of the hospital seemed to have no end. Their dim lights flickered an eerie green over him as he was wheeled down on the gurney. Bumps on the tiled floor jostled the blood-soaked sheets he was wrapped in. He couldn’t hear what was being said, but he could tell his parents were hysterical and the doctors were frantic, trying to do what they can with the information given and his current state.  
No doubt it had already made the news headlines. Boy hit by car speeding on the wrong side of the road while picking up his ball. Driver was in a dark red pickup truck and police are on the lookout. Not much is known about the driver’s appearance. Boy is currently hospitalized and in critical condition.  
They continued down the endless hall that seemed to stretch for miles. All the rooms were completely empty, but they kept going. Precious minutes went by, and he gave in to the weight of his sleepiness. Everything around him disappeared into the darkness.

“I’m going to make you all better, Tooru. Not many will understand this, some might even be scared. But know that Hajime will always be there for you. Right now, he needs you.”  
****  
“Shittykawa. If I have to call you again, I’m eating your breakfast.”  
Oikawa opened his eyes and took a deep breath. If he ever dreamed, that was the only one he would have. Not so much a dream, but exaggerated reality, each time ending with those same words. He always thought it was strange, since there’s no way he could have heard anything from that incident.  
Setting those thoughts aside, the lanky brunette stretched himself until the cracks and pops went from bone to metal. Shit.  
Before he could even open his mouth, he turned his head to find his well-built, tan companion leaning against the door frame, helping himself to a plate of what can be assumed to be Oikawa’s breakfast.  
“What did you break this time?” He questioned between bites.  
Tooru rose slowly and dangled his mechanical feet over the edge of his lofted bed. The less human of the two legs hung at an awkward angle from the knee with a few pieces out of place. He hummed, “right knee again, it seems. Fix it for me, Iwa-chan?”  
Iwaizumi set the plate down purposely out of reach and made his way over. He scrutinized the leg, searching for any dents, bumps, or missing pieces that weren’t obvious from afar.  
“You’re lucky it’s just an old joint that popped. It’s not even eight and you already broke yourself, Crappykawa.” He chastised. “I guess I’ll let you eat while I trade it out for a new one.”  
Oikawa mumbled to himself about how unfair Iwaizumi was being. His luck being what it was, Hajime picked up on a few of his words and shot him a glare. He instinctively raise his arms in defense as he waited for Iwa to cool down and get to work. He dressed himself in his usual safety gear and delivered Oikawa’s breakfast to him. Pulling down his face shield, he got right to work on removing the worn pieces.  
“What time did you wake up?” Oikawa asked over the sound of the flame. He poked around at the no longer warm eggs on his plate before finally digging in.  
“When did the sun come up?”  
Oikawa began a fast search through his database. Words and numbers appeared to him through his right eye until it came to a stop at the weather. “Six o’clock, right on the dot. You’ve been up that long?”  
Hajime turned off the welder and pushed his mask up to speak. “About two hours before that. I had to get my workout in and continue my project. I’m this close to finishing it.” He fumbled around in his drawers until he found the right part. “Besides, Dad is coming back this week before he heads out on another trip.”  
The man who started it all and changed the world. Iwaizumi’s father was a well-known engineer and CEO of a company that already had half of the world in its hands. The death toll had been reduced thanks to his advancements in technology. People could walk who couldn’t before. People could see and hear. They had arms and legs and could use them as if they were always part of them. Bones and even organs could be replaced with synthetics.  
But it wasn’t just for medical purposes anymore. Ever since the word got out that the highly experimental tech was successful, everyone wanted a bit of it. It became a fashion sense. A way of living. Aesthetic. People upgraded themselves just because they felt it was better. Not just themselves, but their homes, their cars, their electronics, everything. It was more than he could have ever imagined.  
The only issue was his lack of insight to the future. The experimental model was indeed a success, but was just that. Experimental. Temporary design. By the time it was implemented, business was crying out for more, and a finalized model was designed. It was far superior of the original, to the point where the original was deemed obsolete. But nothing could be done about it. It was in use, and switching it out for the latter would kill him. All that could be done was to replace the old outer shell with larger parts as the child grew. Maintenance.  
“You’re all set.” Iwaizumi brought Oikawa back to the present with the sound of his voice. He removed his gloves and secured his gear.  
Oikawa swung his legs a few times all in different angles. Everything worked accordingly. He slid off of his bunk and followed Iwa out of the room.  
“So what is this big project you’re working on, Iwa-chan? Why does it need to be done so soon?” He inquired.  
“Don’t worry about it. It’s something the old man and I have been collaborating on. It’s my first big project I’ve done most of the work on and I would prefer to have it done before he gets here.” Green eyes remained straight ahead as he spoke, as focused as ever.  
“Well can I take a peek?”  
“No.”  
“Why?”  
“I told you not to worry about it. Ask me again, and I’m fusing your empty head to your foot.” He threatened.  
****  
The house was pitch black and deathly silent. It was strange since the last few nights had been lively and bustling with the return of Iwa’s father. But he had work to get done before his flight the next morning, so it was best to hit the hay and say their goodbyes then.  
It usually took a lot to wake Oikawa, since he was programmed to sleep a certain amount of hours per night period, yet for some reason he woke in the middle of the night. He shifted in his bed to get a better look at his best friend. He was still asleep, chest rising and falling rhythmically in his slumber. If he was still asleep, there was no reason for Tooru to be awake. Something wasn’t right. He felt a shift in the atmosphere from when he dozed off, like the air was dense and suddenly unfamiliar.  
That was enough to convince him to crawl out of bed. He lowered himself step by step on the ladder until he hit ground. Oikawa found himself constantly glancing at Iwa to ensure he didn’t disturb him. Thankfully years of being a metallic mess taught him how to deal with it, although it meant wearing those gaudy, fluffy winter socks to avoid the clangs of alloy against the wood floor.  
Oikawa shuffled out of the room and into the hall. Everything about it was strange, as if he had stepped into a completely different house. The feeling in the air was stronger than before, almost posing itself as dread. Something was or is going to happen.  
Downstairs. Come downstairs. Something is downstairs. Something you alone have to see. Come downstairs. Come downstairs.  
He crept down the steps just enough to view the rooms below through the railing. Nothing there, everything was clear. Proceeding down the remaining stairs, his hearing receptors picked up something supposedly coming from the kitchen. Sidling against the wall to stay out of sight from the open window. Oikawa made his way to the door and went for the handle. It wouldn’t budge, which made no sense since there was no lock on the door.  
Dark eyes peered around the corner of the window. Dark silhouettes moved across the floor without sound. Two advanced towards the door that led to the backyard, while one stood by a figure Tooru hadn’t noticed before since the being was abnormally still. Nothing was said between the figures by the door as they exited. The remaining stood guard over the other, body turned towards the backdoor. Tooru turned away for a moment to let his eyes completely adjust to the darkness. If he could fully assess the situation, he might be able to stop them. Oikawa glanced back over, unprepared for what he was about to see.  
There was no doubt that it was Iwa’s father restrained and guarded. It was still too dark to tell if he was injured, but it was enough to spark action. He needed a distraction. The pen on the counter would suffice. Oikawa picked it up in his left hand and tossed it clear across the kitchen. The intruder bought it and left his post. He reached his arm around the windowsill to remove whatever was blocking the door when he caught the attention of Iwa’s dad.  
“Tooru stay back.” He barely whispered.  
Before Oikawa could detest, he shot him a look. He knew that look all too well from Hajime himself and knew what it meant.  
“You can’t stop this without getting seriously injured. Protect Hajime.” There was a pause as the intruder made a radio call and a flash of car headlights shone through the bay window within the kitchen. “That’s an order, Tooru. Go. Now.”  
Oikawa retracted his arm and backed away right before the two figures that left returned. He was conflicted. But he owed his very life to him, and he knew the least he could do was respect his wishes. Reluctantly, he retreated up the stairs.  
What do they want with him? Who the hell are they? How did they know we were here? Oikawa was bothered by all the unsettling thoughts bouncing around in his head. What if they go after us too?

The last thought made his stomach churn. He assumed that once he got to the top of the steps he would find Iwa missing. Distracted by his nerve-wracking thoughts, Oikawa lost his footing and tripped on the last few stairs. He held his breath and waited several precious moments in fear someone may have heard. No one left the kitchen or so much as questioned the noise, chances were that they had already left. He rose to his feet, constantly double-taking, and returned to his room.  
Iwaizumi was still fast asleep, unaware of the events that have unfolded. He was still there, and that was all that mattered. Oikawa climbed the ladder to his bunk and sat above the covers, wide awake. His orders were clear and he held onto them like a promise. Nothing would stop him from protecting Iwaizumi. Ever vigilant, Tooru kept watch over him, the door, and the window. Whomever stole Iwa’s father were certainly long gone. It was a good thing too, since watching Iwa sleep was pretty boring. Aside from the occasional grumble, he slept like the dead.  
He felt himself being pulled back to slumber. The only thing barely keeping him up was his paranoia. Why didn’t they inspect the whole building? Didn’t they know we were here too? If anything Iwa-chan is just as valuable. Blink. Iwa-chan… he’s going to give them hell. Just hope I’m not at the receiving end of it. Sleep mode engaged. Iwa… I can’t let you be taken too… Systems switched to sleep cycle. You mean too much to me…


	2. Things Don't Add up and I Still Hate the World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, but here's chapter two! Hope you all enjoy!

Oikawa awoke to the sound of two short police sirens. Peering out the window, he could see two more cop cars pulling up to the front of the house, one of which being K-9 forces. Iwaizumi was outside talking to two officers who were vigorously taking notes. Normally, they didn’t respond this fast, but circumstances being what they are and Iwa’s dad being who he is, this crisis could evolve into something far worse if action isn’t taken now.  
Oikawa decided to make an appearance at the front door. He immediately caught Iwa’s attention who frantically signaled for him to come over. The two cops he was speaking with were taken aback at the metallic being before them. They’ve probably seen their fair share of cyborgs, but none so mangled and exposed up as him. Normally, Oikawa would say some smart remark at the gawking, but now wasn’t the time. He honed in on his panicked friend. That’s all he cared about at the moment. Hajime brought him up to speed on the incident from what he knew and what he told the officers.  
From what he said, there was more than enough evidence to suggest his father was kidnapped anyhow. The rental car was still parked on the curb, the backdoor’s lock was broken, the fuse box’s main switch was shut off so the alarm systems in the house were down, and faint tracks were left in the mud out back. His father also wouldn’t have left without saying goodbye, half of his paperwork and contracts, or without calling Iwa to let him know his plane landed and he got there safely.  
Oikawa thought nothing of what he witnessed. With what they’ve already gathered, telling them wouldn’t be of any use. There was at least three people, could have been more but who knows. He couldn’t see them well enough to identify any noticeable features. They were just dark figures. Like Iwa needed to know anyways. He was already two steps from a nervous breakdown, the last thing he needed to know was his friend sat back and did nothing. He couldn’t do anything. He was told not to, was unarmed, and outnumbered. But Iwa wouldn’t understand him acting as a sentinel into the wee hours of the night before his programming turned against him.  
Why didn’t you stop them? He was right there! You could have done something! Called someone! Gotten me! Anything but sit around on your ass looking stupid and dumbfounded by what happened! He’s gone, and it’s your fault. I can’t believe you would do something so unforgivable.  
“Is something wrong?”  
The pale automaton turned to face the voice. Iwaizumi was clearly trying to take his mind of the whole ordeal but the waver in his tone revealed how he was really feeling.  
“Why do you ask?”  
He took a minute to respond. “You’ve been zoning out lately. Is there a disconnection in your brain or something?”  
Ah, there’s that sick humor. You are trying too hard to hide your pain. “Well my arm has been bothering me a little.” The officers Iwa spoke with earlier interrupted to tell them that they were heading back to headquarters with what they had. They would get back to him as soon as they could if they had any leads. The silence between them remained until the last car pulled out of the driveway and onto the road.  
“We’ll find him.”  
Hajime only nodded in response and returned inside with Oikawa not far behind. The silence between them was almost unnerving. Ever since they were little, the two never let a quiet moment pass by.  
He finally came to a stop in the middle of the living room walkway. It was as if he had switched trains of thought mid-step and had to take the time to process it.  
“I need to do some work and check on a few things. Probably won’t be back until late.” Iwa spoke and made his way to the basement door.  
“Want me to call you up for dinner?”  
He huffed. “Depends. Are you going to burn it like last time?”  
“Well maybe if you weren’t tinkering with the damn oven it wouldn’t be!” Oikawa snapped back in defense. Iwa had left on that note, locking the basement door behind him. It was disheartening seeing that he couldn’t keep up their usual banter. He’ll get better.  
There was still a few hours between now and when he had to make dinner, giving him time to see if the rest of the world heard yet. Tooru slumped down in one of the living room chairs. After struggling with the remote, he finally got the TV to turn on and switched it to the news. Word had already spread like wildfire.  
CEO and founder of Seijou Co. has turned up missing after making a pit stop at his home before catching his flight. Evidence suggest that he was kidnapped and possible whereabouts are unknown. Police are doing the best they can with what limited information they have, but this case most likely will be moved to a national scale. Meanwhile, the company is at a standstill with no one to fill Iwaizumi’s shoes--  
He turned the TV off. So they really didn’t know then. They were invisible to them. Nonexistent. For what they knew, the house was supposed to be empty. Just Iwa’s dad. No prodigy child, no bionic weirdo, nothing. They were really under the grid. But this left many questions unanswered. Hajime was part of the company and he had full access to anywhere within the building itself. People there knew him. But he could only blame himself for being out of the loop. Oikawa rarely left the house unless he had a good reason for it. He was often invited to go visit the company, but he declines. Being there reminds him of how outdated he has truly become and the two assholes at the front desk are less than helpful.  
Suppose it’s time I paid everyone a visit, Oikawa thought bitterly.  
****  
“Iwa-chan, dinner’s ready.”  
“Not hungry. Busy working.”  
Wrong answer. Oikawa set the plates down at the table and strode to the basement door where Iwa met him outside.  
“I won’t eat but I’ll at least take a break.” His eyes met Oikawa’s as he stood by his choice. Oikawa gave in as usual. There was no debating it and neither of them had the will to.  
Oikawa huffed. “Will you at least join me outside? Just to talk for a little bit?”  
Iwaizumi hesitated but finally agreed. The two left out the front door and went around back to the yard. The yard itself was a cleared area being reclaimed by the forest their house encroached on. Nothing but natural green created by years of succession and diversity.  
Oikawa plopped down into the grass and patted the spot beside him. Iwa took the hint and laid down. He sighed and turned his attention to the endless starry sky above them.  
This was something the two of them had been doing for years. Ever since Iwa and his dad moved in, they would sit behind the house for hours talking about small things no one else knew.  
“I miss my mom…”  
Oikawa broke away from the glittering atmosphere to his friend. Iwaizumi lost his mother a couple years back, but was too young to really process it. Now it seemed like it finally sunk in as he fought back tears.  
Tooru took his hand, “It’s okay. I miss my nanna too sometimes. It makes me feel sad, but I know she doesn’t want me to be. That’s what big sis says.”  
**  
“Iwa-chan?”  
“Yeah?”  
“Do I scare you?”  
Most of Oikawa’s wounds have healed or have been replaced with metal, leaving bandages between skin and alloy. He couldn’t help but to feel like he was some sort of monster. All the old, cheesy movies with cheap costumes and special effects were finally making sense to him. He was different, like the monster. And different was bad. It made people angry and scared, enough of each to chase the monster away or kill it.  
Iwaizumi sat up immediately. “No. Don’t you ever say that or think that again. You’re still you and you are my best friend. Don’t forget it.”  
**  
“Do you ever get homesick?”  
“Never.”  
**  
“I think I still want to be an astronaut.” Oikawa nodded at the thought. Want to be the first person on Mars. No one’s done it yet and I want to see what it’s like out there, ya’know?”  
“Dumbass. They stopped sending monkeys up decades ago.”  
“Hey!”  
**  
Oikawa broke the silence between them, “Toes.”  
“What about them?”  
“I miss them.” He shifted his mechanical feet substitutes. “I never really thought about it until now. I miss the way I could wiggle them or bury them in the sand or feel the fibers of the carpet beneath them.”  
Iwa nodded. If he had the spare time, he could certainly do something about it. But he couldn’t bring himself to spare the sympathy.  
Wish I could’ve done something. “Miss staying up too. Going to bed whenever and waking up whenever.”  
“I’d fix that, but I’d have to put you under. I don’t trust myself.”  
“I trust you.”  
Met by silence again. This time, Hajime was deep in thought. He was contemplating, brows furrowed and eyes focusing at the endless sky as if his thoughts were right in front of him. Whatever was on his mind, he shook it off.  
“How are you and your girl?” His tone was less than genuine. He could care less, really. But he needed to say something.  
Oikawa bore the look of confusion for several moments. Then it hit him. “Oh. We’re not together anymore.”  
Iwa raised an eyebrow. “What happened?”  
Oikawa shrugged. “She claimed I never spent enough time with her. Never asked me why. Never cared to hear me out. She basically dated me to say she did. It’s like unless I was doing what she wanted, I was in the wrong. No ifs, ands, or buts. Her way or the highway.”  
“Damn. Sorry about that.”  
“She was a real somethin’.” Oikawa’s voice turned sour at the bear mention. “You should’ve heard the crap that came out of her mouth. She said it was an honor for someone to even care about me. That I was just some broken down tinker toy. A Nokia in an iPhone/Samsung world. ‘Not the new kind, the one that can withstand the blast of a tear gas bullet. You know, the one people purposely dunk in the toilet.’”  
Shock couldn’t begin to describe it. He didn’t seem phased by the loss, but what was said appeared to. He couldn’t help what he was and he already felt left behind in the advancing world.  
“Bah. She didn’t deserve you. And if she was too blind to see that then that’s her loss.” Iwaizumi retorted. Oikawa hummed in agreement.  
They took a few moments to appreciate the atmosphere. It’s as if the world around them ceased to exist and nothing was left but them and the heavens itself. Stars and systems billions of miles away never seemed closer.  
“Is everything in the basement okay?”  
“Yeah. Actually,” Iwa spoke as he rose to his feet, “I have something to show you.”


	3. Super Hero Origin Story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's gonna be a short one. Posting might be a bit scarce given these next couple months are going to be busy. So until next time, enjoy!

Iwaizumi scanned himself into the basement with his unmistakable olive eyes. Oikawa shuffled in behind him as the door automatically shut and locked itself behind them. The two proceeded down the stairs and into a basement every mad scientist would envy. The basement was clean, well lit, and littered with benches posing experimental devices unbeknownst to the world. Some projects were completed, others still in the process. Monitors scrolled through set information on their own, collecting data and running reports on given subjects.  
“What the hell is all of this?” Oikawa piped up. His attention was immediately drawn to an unusual machine. It was hard at work, connected to some synthetic material within a glass case. Pulley devices stretched and compressed the tissue-like substance in a rhythmic pattern. In a tube adjacent to the glass, similar structures were suspended though it appeared they were contracting on their own.  
“Well,” Iwaizumi began, “that is the start of a synthetic heart. Made of the same stuff you are. Right now, the pieces are sectioned off to be exercised. What’s in the tube there is the start of the left atrium and aorta. Both ventricles are already completed and have been stowed away until the rest is completed. The plan was to have models like this completed and ready for testing within the month. Think about all the lives this would save. So many people die waiting for a match and soon, they won’t have to.”  
Oikawa cut him off from his monologue, “I thought you hated biology.”  
“I do. But this is biotechnology. Using engineering to make life easier on everyone else.” He responded.  
Iwaizumi made himself comfortable in his domain as Oikawa continued his walk about. This whole time, it was like living above a small version of their company’s building. As if they had taken a chunk and transported it below their house. Astonishing, to say the least.  
“What. Is. That?!” Tooru nearly ran over to a lit screen. Holographic blueprints of an all too familiar borg were displayed. There were front, side, and back perspectives with highly detailed descriptions of bits and pieces. The ins and outs were labeled along with a count of supplies to replace or renew them.  
Hajime shrugged in response. “It’s you.”  
“Do you not have any concept of privacy?” He scolded, mismatched eyes glaring bullets into the other’s head. “Take it down! Take it down now!”  
Oikawa waves his hands over the image, temporarily disturbing the holographic display. It was an amusing sight until he threatened to start pressing random buttons irrationally. Enough was enough and the monitors were put on hibernate. They were getting sidetracked. Now wasn’t the time for sightseeing, and time was of the essence.  
“Crappykawa, come over here.” Iwa summoned his longtime friend to an isolated chamber.  
Metalline barriers tucked themselves neatly behind the casing as it recognized the handprint Iwaizumi left on a scanner. Lights automatically came on one section at a time until they revealed a suit suspended on a manikin. It had a slick appearance with armored plates weaved in, and consisted of mostly black and crimson colorations to match the palette on Tooru’s “ears”.  
Oikawa couldn’t help but to laugh, like he couldn’t believe what was standing before him, “What is all of this?”  
“I’ll show you. Put it on”  
****  
“Can I turn around now?” Hajime huffed. Oikawa was a difficult one to work with, and his self-conscious tendencies make it worse.  
“Okay.”  
When he turned around, Oikawa was fully dressed in the suit. It was a perfect fit, formfitting, and the plates aligned as they should. Moments went by and nothing happened. Iwa messed around with Oikawa’s armored antennae until they illuminated a bright purple. The suit responded. In return, the suit lit up in the same color shoulders to feet, while certain core pieces remained glowing. It felt different. It felt natural.  
“Is this what you’ve been working on this whole time?” Oikawa spoke as he watched the same color emanate from his palm, increasing in intensity the more he focused on it.  
Hajime was quick to pull his arm away. “Watch it you dumbass or you’ll blow your face off! Yes, this was my project. A self-maintaining power suit that connects to whatever is going on in your head. It’s linked to you and only you. So long as you’re wearing it, you can run cheetah speed without exhausting your physical being, fire an unlimited amount of photon beams, and fly.”  
“I can fly.” The response was more of an affirmation than a question.  
Iwa nodded. “Wish we had time for a test run, but given the circumstances, you’re going to have to figure it out on your own. You read all those comics.”  
Oikawa jumped a little as his visor crossed his face. It showed how his armor was holding up, his own personal health, a list of contacts with Iwaizumi at the top of the list, and how the systems in the suit itself were running. According to the visor, the right leg wasn’t functioning properly. He stomped his foot a few times, and the sensors managed to pick it up this go round.  
“You good to go? We got work to do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter's going to be an aside... got some characters to introduce... =>.>=


	4. Side Chapter: Special Ops

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So nothing's officially started yet and I had the time to write this. Things are picking up now so we'll see. But for now, enjoy!

“Help! Help someone please!”  
A woman’s cries rang out among the bustle of the marketplace. The fox-masked thug managed to strip her of her handbag at gunpoint, and was making his exit in the crowd. He pushed and shoved past people as best he could. Not fast enough. He fired a few shots into the air and like Pavlov’s dogs, people instinctively scattered, creating a quick escape route.   
Cops finally took notice of the situation and pursued the armed thief, but had no chance of catching up amidst the chaos. The bastard was actually going to get away with it. Or so he had thought, little did he know his position was locked on by the best of the best.  
The revving of a motorcycle engine got the thief’s attention. From high on a ledge, a bike dropped down and swerved right in front of him. The rider was dressed in all black, dark jeans with a leather jacket. He had a helmet designed to look like the Cheshire cat, and strange gloves to match his attire. Along his belt were approved and advanced weapons and tools of self-defense, something the police were unauthorized to use by far.   
He spoke upon removing the helmet, “Well, look what I dragged in. It seems to me that you have something that doesn’t belong to you, buddy.”  
It was evident that neither party was backing down. The nonchalant attitude paired with a sly grin and intimidating gold eyes was enough to agitate the villain. Without warning, he fired a few rounds into the spindly rogue. Exit wounds created a slew of sparks and shrapnel.   
Big mistake.  
“Ooooh,” he hissed sarcastically, “yikes! Wow, that really hurt.”   
In a matter of seconds, the bullet wounds closed themselves as if nothing had happened. Technology similar to nanobots healed him at breakneck speed. Alarmed by this, the assailant backed down and attempted to make a run for it.  
“Kozume.”  
A smaller figure, dressed in similar attire, sprung on the thief, throwing him to the ground by the neck. He kept his grip firm and held one of his gloved hands to his neck. Thin, dagger-like blades jutted out from their sheath. It was clear the fight was over.   
The taller man carded his fingers through his unruly hair as he approached. “Do you have to take things so seriously, Kenma? Have a little fun once in a while.” He stepped on the hand with the gun and snatched the purse as the thug jolted in pain.   
The ombre-haired individual remained silent and on the offensive. It wasn’t until the police took control of the matter did he let go. He came to his feet and sized himself up with his partner.  
Kenma glared up at him and signed, ‘Eat my ass, Kuroo. You know I hate it when you take risks like that.’  
“Babe I understand you’re mad, but now really isn’t the time. Perhaps later tonight.” The suggestion didn’t make things any better. Kuroo took Kozume’s hands and caressed them. He leaned in for a kiss but was immediately denied.   
‘Return the purse’  
Kuroo rolled his eyes and made his way to the frantic woman who was fighting her way through the crowd. The purse had a slight jingle to it when it shifted, giving away the reason it was taken. She couldn’t thank him enough for the safe return of her satchel. She swaddled the bag as if it was a child but Tetsurou stopped her before she could leave.  
“If I were you, miss, I would find a safer way to transport those. Maybe hiring security next time, hm?” He said in a low tone, making sure she knew he was serious.  
She nodded and shifted the purse around. Everything was present.  
“I’d stick closer to the waterfront if you’re selling those, too. Crime is way up here in the city outskirts.” On that note, he found his way back to his partner and lover.  
Kenma moved his hands again, ‘what was all that about?’  
“Pearl farmer. Thought she could profit more with a bigger crowd I assume.” He stated with a shrug. Times were pretty tough for small mom and pop businesses. They were being pushed into the city to make profit which was in no way fair to them. No one should risk their businesses or their own personal security to ensure they can pay their bills on time and avoid skipping a meal.   
Kuroo was thrown back into reality with the ringing and vibrating of his phone. He removed it from his back pocket and gave it a thorough read-through. He hummed as he processed everything and slipped his phone into his jacket instead. Kenma looked up at him as if to ask what it was about.  
“Looks like we got another job in the Iwaizumi Building. Seems pretty important.” He grinned as he slid the helmet back on.   
‘But what about this? It was obviously an inside job.’ Kenma brought that to his attention.   
Kuroo waved him off as he mounted his bike. “Geh. The police can take care of it. This is our number one priority now.”  
Kozume did the same, masking himself in a pantheresque helm and the two circled about and made their exit towards the premises.


	5. Things got Weird, then Awkward, then Serious. Alternatively, What are you Thinking, Hajime?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am back from the dead for now. Returning with more of the beans we know and love, and the plot thickens even more.
> 
> Sorry for making you guys wait so long, and I hope it was well worth it!

Oikawa grimaced as the monumental infrastructure hovered over him. Since his last upgrade at seventeen, he hasn’t returned. Seems like they’ve expanded and renovated. Everything looked new. But new doesn’t necessarily mean better. Regardless of the rapid growth of the industry, some things never change.   
“Go on inside, I have some things to get from the car.”   
But I don’t want to. Oikawa felt more and more frustrated with each step. Mere feet from the door now, he straightened himself up and put on his best smile. Iwa considered it a retail worker’s smile. To sum it up, it was fake and convincing to anyone who didn’t know better. Here goes nothing. He pushed the door open and proceeded into the belly of the beast.   
“Is it?”  
“No, it can’t be.”  
“But it is!”  
From beyond the receptionist counter, two relatively tall figures stood watch over Tooru. To the right, a messy-haired tan human with a rather bored expression. To the left, another with fair skin and an unusual salmon tint to his neater brown locks. The latter looked almost shocked but not at all sincere.  
“My, my, Issei. I know I told you to put the trash out, but I didn’t think it would come back.”   
Oikawa was quick to retort. “Both of you can suck it. I’m here with Iwa-chan on important business. And before either of you say anything, it’s emergency protocol.”  
Hanamaki and Matsukawa. Two good reasons Oikawa limited his appearances. It used to be all fun and games, just small remarks between the four of them. But ever since the incident, Oikawa was never really the same. Things that were said dug a little deeper under the skin than normal. He would counter with words equally as sharp, and their level of banter took a dark turn. Nowadays they acted like exceedingly simpleminded Disney henchmen. Jasper and Horace, or better yet Flotsam and Jetsam. Given that they lacked a smarter antagonist figurehead, the duo were downright useless. Left to their own provocative devices with nothing better to do but play a game of grab-ass.   
The two exchanged glances before Mattsun spoke out, “well, we figured you guys keep that kind of protocol at home.”  
Oikawa was stumped. The lack of a proper comeback left him open to more poking and prodding.   
“Now that right there is the face of someone who’s still chasing after someone who isn’t interested.”  
Before Tooru had a chance to take a swing at them, Iwa made his entrance and called him off. He lacked context of what happened prior but didn’t need any considering how well he knew the volatile states being. Luckily, Oikawa was unarmed. Even then, Mattsun and Makki merely backed away and laughed it off.  
“If I catch you two jackasses slacking off again, I’ll see to it that you’ll never find another job in your lives. Got it?” Iwaizumi threatened.  
They nodded as Iwa motioned Oikawa to follow. Walking away, Oikawa rolled his shoulder. Something felt off still but it wasn’t important. Iwaizumi held out a card that scanned into the elevator. Doors slid in and both walked in. The panel lit with an array of floors. One or two weren’t lit, only to be assumed as rooms he didn’t have clearance to. Floor twenty-three was selected.   
“A lot has changed since you last visited.”  
“I couldn’t tell.” The reply came off more sarcastic than expected, but weren’t in regards to the actual company itself.  
The elevator came to a halt and opened up. They made their way down the hall, passing what seemed to be large rooms more along the medical side. Some doors were closed, while some remained open. Peeking in one of the rooms, a young man, roughly their age, was sitting on the examination table. Bright teal eyes watched his mechanical left arm move and bend effortlessly, as if it were the original. He parted his sloppy brown hair and stood up, putting pressure on his left, synthetic leg. It worked and his face lit up at the realization. He turned to a petite figure he brought with, who hesitantly pulled him into an embrace. Steele eyes shut and he let out a sigh in relief.   
Oikawa received a light smack to the back of his head for spying and dawdling when now was clearly not the time. Passing by another room, he noticed it was empty. Someone had just checked out and the x-rays were still fresh on the wall. Pictures were laid in a chronological order, from child to adult. The spine was noticeably curved at first, almost painful to look at. But the metallic replacements over time have corrected it to near perfection.   
Turning the corner, Iwa stopped at the first door.   
“Here we are.” He announced as he pulled out a different card and scanned in.   
The room was fairly similar to the one back at the home, but much larger. Much more spacious with larger, bulkier equipment.   
“So, what’s with the different cards?” Oikawa brought up his observations.  
Iwaizumi pulled out a small stack of similar cards. “It’s our corporate secret. To keep me off the grid, I have temporary cards with temporary identities. The only thing letting me in and out of places is the blood sample each card has. Once the building reads it, the sample is no good and the card must be discarded.”  
So that’s how no one knew. Sneaky Iwa-chan.   
Iwaizumi brought Oikawa to a chamber roughly the same as the one back home, only this one was more heavily barricaded. Oikawa inspected it. No sign of a security code input or body scan to activate it, which only made it more enticing to see what was inside. Was it dangerous? Was it a suit similar to his but compliant to humans? Was it some sort of upgrade?  
Hajime busied himself observing different screens and holograms that appeared to be attached to whatever was inside of the oversized thermos. After a few moments, he spoke up, “well? Don’t be rude. Say ‘good morning.’”  
It’s past noon now, but whatever. The brunette cleared his throat. “Good morning.”  
Locks tumbled and the machine undid itself. Plates shifted behind one another and Tooru almost couldn’t believe his eyes. What lied inside wasn’t a weapon or anything of the sort, but a small person in some sort of sleep state. Diminutive figure with bright orange curls and fair skin. A dull wave of light ran up his body and he came to life. His chest moved with a rhythmic breathing pattern, though whether he was actually breathing or not was an enigma. Eyes opened to reveal an unusual light brown coloration that almost coincided with his hair, most likely due to the circuitry. Now awakened from his hibernation state, he perked up and grinned at the people before him.  
“Good morning!” He responded cheerfully.  
Oikawa didn’t know what to make of the small automaton. All he knew was that he didn’t like it. This little creature before him was given life out of inorganic lifeless material. He hadn’t the faintest idea on where to start asking questions. How did this happen? How long ago was he made? What’s the purpose of making an entirely synthetic being?   
Are you trying to replace me?  
“This is Hinata Shouyou, one of my dad’s completed projects. For the most part, we can say it was a success. He still has a few more tests to go, but other than that, he kinda lives here as one of our security functions.” Iwaizumi introduced the android.   
Security functions? The cyborg thought. You’ve got to be kidding me. That’s like leaving a Teacup Chihuahua to guard a mansion. I’d be more intimidated if it were an actual one.   
“I have to run and grab a few things from down the hall. Be right back.” He left on that note.  
The mechanical beings remained behind and silence fell between the two. Hinata didn’t seem to mind it at first as he was making himself aware of his surroundings. From what he observed, everything was in the same place and condition as he last saw it. The flow of his movements about the room were natural and seamless as if he were human. As if that wasn’t enough, the fact that he had to be at least a year old by know and his presence was unbeknownst to Oikawa really offset him.   
Shouyou offered him a smile as he tried to break the ice. “How long have you known-“  
The ice thickens.  
“All my life.” Oikawa cut him off.  
Hinata tried not to break eye contact with taller entity. “That’s pretty neat. So you guys are like best friends?”  
“Okay, pipsqueak. I’m gonna lay down the law here. I don’t know how long you’ve known Iwa-chan, but you don’t know him like I do. You haven’t taken the time to understand how he works, how he thinks, how he feels. And you aren’t going to anytime soon. Do you understand? My friend. Not yours.” His words were sharp.  
Hinata was making mental notes, perhaps actual ones to store in some memory system. It was unclear to him whether there was something more to the relationship between Oikawa and Iwaizumi, but it wasn’t something he was willing to question.  
There was a creaking as Tooru straightened up. The noise was followed by a loud snap as his right arm detached from the shoulder and fell to the ground. All the intimidation he was holding dissipated. Fantastic. He gathered himself and stormed out of the room where he met Iwa outside. Hajime looked him up and down, taking notice of the dismembered limb.   
“I see what you were talking about earlier.”   
Oikawa couldn’t be completely frustrated with the astute comment. Iwa at least proved he was listening. “You think?”   
“Just help me out here. Then I’ll see what I can do. You better hope I have spare parts to begin with.” He turned and reentered the room with small devices and associated tools.   
“What’s all this for anyways?”  
“Glad you asked.” Iwaizumi activated one of the small devices and stuck it in his right ear. “I may not be enhanced as the two of you are, but that does not limit me in any way. Basically, this is going to connect to you, Hinata, and a few others to create a private and secured chatroom between us. All completely reliant on neuronal signals.”  
H.Iwaizumi: To dumb it down for you, it’s like telepathy. At least for me. What I’m saying is also being posted on a message board just between us. I can’t see it unless I want to rewire my sensory nervous system. Literally.  
“Get out of my head. I don’t like that.” Oikawa retorted out loud, looking most disturbed while Iwaizumi rewired and welded Oikawa’s arm back on. He flexed his arm and fingers to get everything recalibrated. “And you’re not funny.”  
“Suck it up, buttercup.”  
Hinata perked up as he saw a familiar figure land and enter the infrastructure. “Kageyama’s here! Can we go see him?”  
Oikawa was most bitter to hear another nuisance from his past was still present. Just thinking of the overly cocky cyborg was making his skin crawl. His being here was supposed to be temporary, but it appears that it was not the case.   
“He’ll be meeting us up here promptly.” Upon saying that Iwaizumi glanced over at Oikawa. “I don’t want to hear shit from either of you. I’ll remind him of this too.”  
Speaking of the devil, a taller borg made his way into the room. He had straight black hair and cobalt eyes, both features standing out against pale skin. He wore a permanent scowl and similar armor to Oikawa’s. It was darker in color, sporting blacks and stormy grays with occasional orange flashes originating for his own body. Attached to his back were semi-folded metallic plates, large and thin, giving him the appearance of a dark angel.  
Hinata met him at the doorway and coiled his arms around the gangly one’s waist. He eagerly hopped on the tips of his toes until Kageyama greeted him with a proper kiss. It wasn’t until Iwa cleaved his way between them and out into the hallway did they refocus on the task at hand.  
“Alright, alright. Enough. We don’t have time for your shit.”  
Tooru followed suit, exchanging a glare between the two apparent lovers and marching on with his mangled limb. Everyone was oddly silent. Kinda just going with whatever was working in Iwa’s mind.   
User2: Testing, testing. Iwa-chaaaan. Are you still there?  
H.Iwaizumi: Yes, idiot. What do you want?  
User2: What’s the plan here? What are we doing?  
User3: Good question.  
User4: Yes! Let us knooooow!  
They all arranged themselves in the elevator. Hinata had an arm around Kageyama, who leaned in the far corner from Oikawa. He fixed a glare onto the other borg which was met with a smugger pout from the latter. Oikawa tried to nonchalantly lean next to Iwaizumi, pressing the boundaries of how close he could get to him. Seemed to be fine.   
Doors shifted open and they filed out with Hajime in the lead. Back out to the main lobby.   
“Hey, Oika-”  
Silence. Purposeful silence. The world around Tooru went blank as he shut down his auditory receptors. Mattsun and Makki remained puzzled as their banter was blatantly ignored. The spindly borg smiled and shrugged as he pursued the group until they came to a halt. Two, for the lack of a better word, officers stood off to the side of the main entrance. The taller flicked the bangs out of his face and grinned.  
“Did anyone hire two vigilantes?”  
‘Please stop calling us that.’ The ombre-haired individual signed with a frustrated look on his face.  
He teased, “What’s so wrong about it? We’re just helping a guy get his very, very important figurehead dad back. And making a little extra cash on the side.”  
“Kuroo Tetsurou and Kenma Kozume. Thank you for joining us and meeting with us on such short notice. But I require your assistance.” Hajime greeted the taller of the two with a firm handshake and dipped his head to Kenma. Kenma simply waved. It wasn’t until the briefing did he catch on to Oikawa’s selective hearing.  
“Hey dumbass! I’m not talking to hear myself think!” He snapped as he clenched his fists. The imposing look was enough.  
In a matter of seconds, sound came flooding back in. Bustling of people moving in and out, clanking of shoes on the tile, and Iwa hollering over it all. “Okay, okay! You are so mean to me Iwa-chan!”  
“Haul ass. I’m not sure how long we can keep the roads blocked off until we leave the city.”   
Once his back was turned, he stuck his tongue out briefly enough not to be caught. Or so he thought. Out of the corner of his eye, Tooru caught a glimpse of ombre.  
Kenma again motioned with his hands, ‘I knew you were following along with what I was saying.’  
He raised his eyebrows and nodded. “Yeah. I used to have real hearing problems when I was, younger.” He stiffened as he avoided mention of the incident.   
‘Does he always get mad like that?’  
The question caused Oikawa to loosen up and even laugh a little. “No, no! He’s not really mad! It’s just how we play around. All fun, I assure you.”  
Kemna briefly smiled and both of them caught up with the rest of the group. To Oikawa, this part of the building was strange and very unfamiliar. To make it worse, the halls were barely lit and this elevator looked like it hadn’t been touched in decades. They all piled in and went down two or three levels which felt more like twenty or thirty due to the slow pace and agonizing creaking of the elevator sliding down the shaft.  
H.Iwaizumi: Set your codes up now while we have the chance.  
\--User4 set code to Sunshine--  
\--User3 set code to Corvid9--  
\--User5 set code to CheshireCat--  
\--User6 set code to BlackPanther--  
Sunshine: … Oikawa-san?  
Oikawa thought on it. If this was really the game they were playing, he needed something to distinguish himself above all others.  
\--User2 set code to Archangel--  
The elevator came to a stop. Base floor. The doors complained as they parted.  
“We have one more floor after this that’s only stair-accessible and highly barred off. Once we get down there, we need to be ready. That means suiting up and getting into the positions I marked. The coordinates have been sent to you all individually and correspond with your user only.” Iwaizumi was sure to be clear as he spoke. “The idea is to get us out of city limits by dark and out of harm’s way.”  
Everyone agreed without question but Tooru. Rather than vocally disagree, he narrowed his eyes as he lost himself in his mind again.   
So, Iwa-chan. What are you really planning?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Progress might be a bit slow especially after I write up chapter 6, on the note that I'm writing a darker, angsty one-shot for Haikyuu!! as well...


	6. Team Building Exercise (Battle Arc 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for not posting for like 3 months. Writing a fight scene is a lot harder than watching it play out in my head. ._.l|l Good news is Chapter 7 is already under way. Thank you all for reading!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, if you haven't heard it already, I recommend listening to this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKRUPYrAQoE. Heaven Goodbye wouldn't be here without it and it actually inspired this scene. Hope you all enjoy!

“Kageyama, you still drive right?” Iwaizumi asked, climbing into the back seat of the company Jeep.   
“So long as it isn’t stick. Hinata, in.”  
The android hooked himself up to his own responsive gear. Wings matching that of Kageyama’s, and a few weapon attachments. Upon getting everything stabilized, he hopped into the vehicle’s rear seat but not without protest. The couple bickered for a few moments before they were interrupted by the annoyed stares from everyone else in the room.   
Kuroo helped himself to the arsenal much to Kenma’s dislike.   
Iwa called over his shoulder as he slipped on some form of new-aged gauntlets, “I hope you don’t mind but I had your bikes moved down into the loading bay. It’s the next room over and it’ll give you the start you need to get into position.”  
“Understood.” Tetsurou waved and whisked Kenma away.  
Oikawa kept his eyes glued on Iwa as he tried to figure him out. His plan made no sense. If anything, this little stunt was going to bring attention to them.   
“Earth to dumbass, Earth to dumbass, come in, dumbass. What are you waiting on? You’re supposed to be at your mark. We don’t have time for you to doddle around in la la land.” Iwa groused.  
Oikawa was quick to the draw. “Well, Houston. I was making sure that we didn’t have any unforeseen problems.”  
“We won’t have any if everything goes accordingly. Plus I know you got my back.” He grinned slightly and extended his arm out to the borg.  
Tooru was thrown for a loop. Whatever Hajime was up to, Oikawa didn’t pay it any mind now. The reassuring trust was really what he needed most of all. He clasped onto his hand and returned the look of determination. They nodded and separated, Oikawa retreating back into the stairway.  
I trust your decision, Iwa-chan. But my one request is that you stay safe.   
****  
The gate opened and Kageyama drove the jeep harboring Hinata and Iwaizumi down to the main street. They didn’t know how, but they managed to clear the roads of traffic.  
Tobio called out to Iwazumi, “Comfortable back there?”  
“Sure am. Just keep following the directions. If we need to divert course, I’ll let you know.” Hajime responded.  
“Ah, so it’s like that chemistry stuff where what happens in between doesn’t matter, so long as we get from Point A to Point B?” Shouyou inquired.  
“Bingo.”  
H.Iwaizumi: Archangel, are you in place?  
Oikawa remained perched atop their easily fifty story building. From there, he had a view of almost the entire city. A gust of wind threatened to push him over the edge as his sights fell upon the vehicle in motion below. The visor locked on and zoomed itself in whilst identifying the individuals inside.  
Archangel: Yessir, Iwa-chan, sir.  
H.Iwaizumi: Are you locked on to my position?  
Archangel: I got you on radar, yes.  
H.Iwaizumi: Good. Remember, do not lose position unless I myself call you.  
Archangel: Yeah, yeah.  
Kenma started up his bike as Kuroo revved his. The latter was known to be an adrenalin junkie. He howled with laughter as he took off, speeding down the barren streets. The thrill of it all was really his motivation, drifting through the roads going at least 145kph. Kozume shook his head, but never doubted that Kuroo knew what he was doing. He followed suit and raced to catch up. It never proved difficult, as Kenma was just as skilled.   
CheshireCat: Moving into position.  
H.Iwaizumi: Copy. Oikawa, if you want to test out those new abilities, be my guest. Just don’t do something stupid.  
Premise, he was about to do something stupid. With a running start, he flung himself over the edge of the building. Whether or not he knew the equipment even worked, the feeling alone from the freefalling was exhilarating. It wasn’t until he was about half way down did he get this urge to take off. It was almost instinctual, and it had to be. Nothing from the suit was warning Tooru that if he didn’t activate his boosters, he would certainly fall to his death.   
Here goes nothing.  
The armor lit up and primary boosters powered on and before he had any time to react, Oikawa blasted off. Never before had he felt so free. Maneuvering appeared easier than it seemed as he weaved his way past other buildings.  
The regulars within were in complete awe. Never before had a borg actually flown, at least to their knowledge. It was like standing as an extra in a super hero movie before a huge fight, and the thought of that made most weary.   
Where’s the villain?  
Kuroo and Kenma finally caught up to Tobio and exchanged nods as they zoomed ahead of the jeep.   
CheshireCat: We got something on radar. We’re going to split and go check it out. Could be nothing, could be something. If I’ve learned anything, it’s better to be safe than sorry.  
H.Iwaizumi: Got it. Maintain your distance until you can get a clear identification.  
CheshireCat: Roger.  
Just like that, the bikes peeled back into the opposite ends of the same street. It was incredible how in sync they were. The idea was to tag the unidentified blip on monitor and if it posed a threat, immobilize it. If it had any valuable information, they wanted a grab at it.  
Tetsurou managed to catch a glimpse of the unidentified individual between streets. He was mounted on his own bike, suited up as they were, though in a gray and lavender. It was evident he didn’t want to expose his identity for his helm masked his face. Kuroo couldn’t grasp much detail, but upon closer inspection…  
CheshireCat: He’s armed. Kenma and I are closing in to cut him off. I recommend you divert path.  
That was something he was waiting for. The motorist fell back as Kuroo and Kenma merged to his position. Shit. He took a right and maneuvered around the block to position himself behind the vehicle. The bike came to a halt and he armed himself with a miniature portable rocket launcher.   
Kageyama turned to Iwa, though he had a generally calm composure, he could see the panic in his eyes. “What the hell do we do?”  
Hajime responded casually, “Take Hinata and go.”  
“But you can’t be serious?! What about you?!”  
“Don’t worry about me. Grab him and go.”  
Missile fired.  
Tobio scooped up Hinata much to his protest and expanded his wings. He didn’t ascend without glancing back. Why was he so calm about this? He understood his life was at risk, right? But he had to trust Iwaizumi’s judgement. Thus far, they’ve never been wrong.  
H.Iwaizumi: Tooru.  
The projectile fell short of the car but the blast itself was enough to throw the automobile. Shouyou turned away from the scene, too afraid to see the outcome. But just in the nick of time, Oikawa swept under the jeep as it was in midair, and caught Iwa as he launched himself from his seat. Oikawa picked up speed and gained lift all before the car capsized. The save was a little too close for comfort but nonetheless exhilarating.  
“I see all those books you read actually paid off.”  
“I guess so. You gotta admit, that was really cool.”  
Oikawa could practically feel how hard Iwa was smiling. Sure, they could have died, but in all honesty, it was exciting. The feeling of flying, the feeling of winning, the deeper trust ignited between them. Together, they felt invincible.  
Kageyama caught up to them, Hinata secured in his arms. There was noticeable relief, but at the same time they certainly had faith that Tooru would come through.  
Battle wasn’t over yet.  
Hinata perked up at the blip on his radar and glanced back. “Uh, guys?” His voice wavered just over the sound of the wind. Behind them, another cyborg appeared to be in hot pursuit.   
Oikawa turned his head back to face Iwa, “I thought we were the only ones with this kind of tech.”  
“I thought so too. But that’s not our work. Our wings aren’t manufactured in that style.” Iwaizumi confirmed the notion.   
“We don’t have time to think about this. We need to split.” Kageyama shouted.   
Cobalt met chocolate and the idea of splitting was understood. They divided up between the buildings. The enemy went after Oikawa as planned.  
They know.  
Oikawa took evasive measures, but he couldn’t shake him off. To make things worse, he was significantly faster. It wasn’t long before he had nearly caught up to Tooru. This fiend had experience, and Tooru’s lack thereof was working against him. But it can’t end like this. No, there is still too much to be done, too much to be uncovered.  
“I can’t shake this guy off of me!” There was something off about his tone as he glimpsed down at the figure held tightly in his arms. “What do you think we should do?”  
Shouyou beamed up at him, “I say we let him have it!”  
Oikawa waited until the foe was on his feet before he whipped around. It was too late by the time he realized his mistake as Hinata took aim. The goal wasn’t to destroy, but to damage. The redhead shot a beam at the right wing, blowing it off completely. Oikawa was certainly taken aback by the power this droid contained, immediately retracting any previous notions. This was Hinata, the highly respected guard of Seijou Co.  
Metallic claws unsheathed as the downed enemy clung to a building to break his fall. He turned downward to the streets, where the cyclist was undoubtedly glaring up at him. He shook his head in irritation and sped off. Whatever their mission was, it surely failed, and he wasn’t taking the blame for this disaster.


	7. I am a Human Being

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I might just end up keeping my chapters shorter than 2000ish words :/ I just keep finding good cutoff points. Might be a while before my next posting because I gotta focus on classes. But in the meantime, enjoy!!
> 
> -major edit-  
> So this is what I get for relying on school wifi. Also this chapter is not for the lighthearted, so be forewarned it gets rather intense...  
> And for those of you who read without the warning, I apologize sincerely ;A;
> 
> -Edit again-  
> I've been talking to my friends who've read it, and it occurred to me that I didn't go into great detail with our victim. I hope what little bit I added was enough to clarify. If you want to get a feel for who it is, ctrl+ F to "He scanned himself..." Again, my apologies (;﹏;)

Oikawa came in for a landing just feet in front of Iwa and Kageyama. Neither of them had a scratch on them. He set Hinata down, who eagerly scampered over to Tobio. Kuroo and Kenma joined them, still mounted on their bikes.  
Kozume signed, ‘I got pictures of them before they left. Though I wasn’t able to get any sort of license plates or identification.’  
“To be expected.” Iwa responded.  
“So what was the point of all that? You put yourself in danger to get a lead on the case we shouldn’t be involved in?” Oikawa questioned, rather irritated. Fun was over and it should’ve been over from the start. There was no real reason Iwa should have put himself in danger.  
“Well it’s evident that they have some kind of idea as to who I am.”  
“So why weren’t you taken that night?”  
That struck a nerve, “That’s what I want to find out.”  
Kuroo stepped in, “now, now. No need to get your hackles raised. Sure, its risky shit, but we handled it. Think of this experiment as a test of team work. We had no idea what we were in for but damn did we handle it well.”  
“So what’s next, do you propose we form Voltron?” Tooru’s lip curved into a distinct pout.  
Iwaizumi ignored the remark and explained the current situation. Surveillance had shown strange people lingering around the building weeks before and even up until his father’s disappearance. There was a high chance that someone recognized his importance and ties to Iwaizumi senior, and targeted him. He compared the photos taken from last week and the week before to the ones Kenma took. There were striking similarities between the men in the pictures, some even matched perfectly. “There’s no coincidence.”  
Kuroo nodded in agreement. “And with all the mechas running around, it could be a lot bigger than what we’re making it out to be.” Despite his gruff appearance, he was extremely cunning and intellectual. Perhaps top of his class at one point. There was no calling it intuition.  
The worst of it was he was very right.  
****  
We as people are fairly complex beings, such that the Earth has never experienced before. Compared to most animals aside from select sea mammals, we are capable of extreme abstract thought. We plan ahead and think of consequences prior to them happening. We calculate our daily actions within a fraction of a second. We dictate what we feel is right and wrong. But that in itself is a fragile line, constantly changing as time progresses. Occasionally, there lies a disconnect in the mind and the line becomes invisible. This disconnect impairs emotional function, which then inhibits social interactions. The organism struggles to compensate and make its own order of right and wrong. To them, there is no wrong. To them, they can do no evil, only rid the world of what they believe is.  
This is sociopathy.  
Screens flickered constantly in the unlit room. The monitors that focused inward on their building were bustling with panicked personnel. Word had gotten out that two supposedly top tier assassins had failed their mission and their boss wasn’t going to be ecstatic about that. Within the outward cameras, Oikawa and Iwa flashed on and off screen, completely unaware. Two remained frozen on Hinata. One remained a view of his full body whereas the other was a shot of his face.  
A voice broke the silence from beyond the doorway. “SemiSemi is back. Emp-ty hand-ed.”  
“I’m well aware.” The man in the chair sitting before the screens answered back.  
“So what are you going to do about it?”  
He paused before replying, “Nothing at the moment.”  
Muffled screaming came from one of the interior cameras. One monitor displayed an infuriated cyborg throwing glasses and tools at two alleged doctors. A third was on the floor, whether he was unconscious or dead was unclear. The two tried to intervene, but the borg was having none of it. One of his robotic arms struck the table he was previously strapped to and left a remarkable dent in it. He rushed one of surgeons after a failed attempt to compromise.  
Rising from his seat, he donned himself in appropriate lab material. As the old saying goes, if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. The redhead in the doorway stood aside as his superior exited the room and proceeded down the hall. He knew very well what the imprisoned borg was in for.  
The rooms were well-fortified with very strict security access points lining the walls along the entrances. There were no windows aside from small, secured ones within the doors themselves. He came to a stop in front of the room that had been the source of the commotion. Olive eyes remained fixed despite the spatter of blood splayed across the portal.  
He scanned himself into the room and immediately caught the attention of the test subject. His body was drenched in blood, both his and the mutilated doctors’. Platinum blond, striped hair stood out against the warm blood and cold sweat dripping from his face. Eyes resembling those of a wolf’s challenged his captor. His lower jaw hung at an angle, unable to close due to the incisions made on both sides of his face. Any and all anesthetic used to put him under was unmistakably out of his system. He was wide awake and pissed, and was bound to not go out without a fight. But he was going to wish he was still under.  
Without a second thought, the injured entity charged only to be deflected and slammed onto the cold tile belly down. With a solid foot on his back, he was unable to free himself. Yet he saw the opportunity to swing his fist back at his assailant’s leg. With the force he used, he would’ve broken a human’s leg instantly. All color had left his face when he realized this was no human. Foot removed, he was snatched by the collar of his shirt and smashed against the floor until his struggle lessened. He was released, and permitted to pick himself up. Reaching over for the table for leverage proved to be a mistake.  
Exposed metal twisted and bent with ease as the attacker ripped the arm clean off. The borg was back down on the ground writhing in pain. Synthetic oil leaked from broken tubes, slightly igniting every time it came in contact with the sparks from the with the exposed wiring.  
“You just had to be difficult.” There was no remorse in his tone. “If you had cooperated, the procedure would be done by now.”  
“I didn’t ask for this.” The response was slurred and almost incoherent.  
There was a pause as dull green met fiery gold.  
“No, I don’t suppose you did.” That being said, the foe dropped the mutilated appendage and swiveled around towards the door. The injured borg mistook that as a sign of relief from the beating. In an instant, the adversary whipped back around for an attack. Another arm forcibly removed. He hoisted the damaged being back onto the counter, shattering glass and bone alike. The victim still refused to go down without a fight. But pain had finally overtaken the adrenalin rush and moving became too much. A firm hand around his throat obstructed his airway which bought the assailant enough time to prepare anesthetics. He was going to finish the job himself. With the anesthetic tube running down his throat, the borg was out in a matter of seconds.  
Grabbing a pair of bone cutters, he slipped the sheers under the right incision of his jaw…  
****  
“So you’re telling me Kenma managed to tag this guy before they ran off?” Oikawa clarified as he watched the blip move on his visor’s map.  
Kuroo responded, “Correct. We have a clear visual as to where they’re off to in such a hurry. Hopefully they will lead us right to their base.”  
Iwaizumi joined in on the conversation, “What makes you think they’ll be stupid enough to do that?”  
Silence. It was evident that this minion knew what he was doing. The chances of him being stupid enough to lead the band of misfits were slim to none.  
“Regardless, I believe it is important for us to pursue.”  
“You can’t be serious, Iwa-cha-“  
“I am. You and I will go after them personally. If we bring the whole band, it’ll be too difficult to go undetected. I’m gonna have to ask that you four stay behind.” Hajime’s proposal was met with unanimous nods and agreements. Even Tooru conceded, settling on the thought of being able to protect him firsthand. “Then it’s settled. Oikawa, let’s move.”


	8. Do you Trust me? (Battle Arc 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've waited long enough to post this chapter. Totally fibbed about focusing on school work though I have been and I feel somewhat confident for my exams tomorrow. Thank KonekoHime for the title and helping me coordinate where chapter nine is starting.
> 
> Also, I have made a tumblr just for you guys! It's oikawaii-ao3 so feel free to send me any questions, comments, or what have you! Hope you all enjoy!
> 
>  
> 
> P.S. Iron Cinnamon.

Tooru dropped Iwa off under the cover of large boating crates in front of a seemingly abandoned shipping warehouse. Lo and behold, the same motorcycle from the unknown adversary rested on the wall by the entrance. Oikawa scanned the area for any outside forms lying in wait for ambush. None. Just the assailant lying in wait inside.   
They moved in closer and slipped in through the main door. Inside, there were smaller, unlabeled, wooden crates piled neatly beside each other. Perfect cover. Oikawa and Iwaizumi crouched down behind one just before the assassin reappeared. He waited at the open-faced side of the warehouse as a decent-sized boat docked and began unloading its contents. He cautiously assisted in placing similar boxes down whilst detailing them.  
Curiosity got the better of Oikawa. What were they shipping? Unhinging the lids of one as quietly as possible, he shifted the top board forward to reveal its contents. Iwa at the time was preoccupied with observing this now identified borg’s movements.  
“Iwa. You need to see this.” The brunette whispered. Green eyes fell on a large metal arm piece in Tooru’s arms. He jumped as it was triggered by the mecha’s energy and it changed shape to uncover some sort of ion cannon.   
“I don’t understand,” Hajime studied the weapon with upmost scrutiny. He was certain it was nuclear and judging by the formation of the part, it was meant to replace the human or cyborg appendage entirely. This was illegal on a number of levels. Given exceptions are Kuroo, Kenma, and Kageyama. They went through years of training and agreements to be permanently altered with the intent of servitude. Albeit their methods to get to that point were fairly different, but they had given their full consent and understood the consequences of being less human and containing a greater power over human beings. Hinata was another exception. He was forged with a purpose and his sentience permits him to comprehend what he was meant to do. He was offered chances to reconstruct his body in a more family friendly manner, but has refused all accounts. “Who the hell are these bastards?”  
Looking up at the oblivious individual, Oikawa’s visor managed to pick up subtle writing on the armored plates on his back. The etchings that were detected read Shiratori. Immediately Shiratorizawa Inc. was under heavy suspicion. They were Seijou’s top competitor, but always second best in advancements. Everything then made sense. The kidnapping, the stalking, the attempted murder of kin. It was all their doing to try to get ahead and force Seijou to go under.   
Without warning the robotic arm fired a short beam towards the crate it originated from. This got the attention of the borg. His eyes through his helm said it all. He wasn’t taking prisoners. Claws similar to his fallen teammate unsheathed, only sparking as an electric pulse ran through them.   
“Shit.”  
Oikawa ditched the arm and took Iwa by his, searching for an alternate route of escape. Had he gone for the front entrance, their chances of getting away would be slimmer. Weaving around stacks and boxes, he found a busted elevator. He blasted the rusted doors off. The cables were intact.  
“Iwa-chan, come on!” Tooru called out as he let go, running ahead to grip the ropes. They creaked as the automaton latched on and swung around, extending a hand to his companion. The plan was to safely skid down to a halt on another level and make their escape from there. So often does life have different plans as the cable snapped under the weight of the two of them. Oikawa never lost his hold on Iwaizumi and used his glove to connect to a metal panel of an air duct several floors down from the break.   
That didn’t stop the pursuit. The foe’s claws permitted him to slide down the elevator shaft towards them. Oikawa wasted no time hoisting himself and Iwaizumi into the vent. His navigation systems guided them to the nearest opening as they army crawled through the tight space. A small pulse was enough to bust the vent open and Oikawa caught it with a free hand before it hit the ground. The last thing they need is more aggressors alerted to their presence. Area scanned. Coast is clear.   
Iwa made a break for the bikes in the open loading bay. They were in optimum condition, seemingly never touched.   
Tooru maintained visual on the surroundings for any signs of their tracker. “Are the keys still in there?” He inquired.  
“No time.” Hajime was already under the motorized vehicle, case removed and wires being rearranged. The engine revved as the connectors were stimulated from spare wire. “Got it!”  
He mounted the motorcycle and sped off with Oikawa running not far behind. The suit supplied him with the strength, stamina, and speed that his more human side would need to match the endurance of his more robotic half. Then again, being who he is, he preferred to hitch a ride than to waste energy.  
“You know you can run, right?” Iwa called back to him.  
“Yeah. But that requires too much movement on my part.” He whined. He got comfortable and wrapped his arms around Iwa’s waist as he navigated through the tunnel.  
Hajime muttered to himself. “Big fuckin’ baby.”   
It appeared the tunnel was going to spit them out into oncoming traffic, making the perfect getaway. At least that’s what it appeared to be until their pursuer was closing in the gap with one of the same cycles.   
“Iwa-chan.”  
“I know.”  
“We need to go faster.” They surfaced adjacent to a major highway.  
“Going as fast as I can. We’re running out of lane here.”  
Mere feet were between the bikes now. Oikawa turned around with his back against Iwaizumi’s to figure out the best course of action. Panic set in when their eyes connected. Anger ignited and took its place as outstretched talons threatened to capture them.   
You will not hurt my Iwa-chan.  
Oikawa’s boots flickered as they warmed up. Confusion fell upon the foe as Oikawa fastened his grip on the seat and aimed his feet for the ground.  
“Oh, fuck off!”  
Before Iwa could question what he was doing, the boosters sent them full throttle into the highway. Iwa was shaken at first, but managed to make it work as they weaved between cars and trucks. It seemed like they lost their borg assailant, but picked up another. The airborne fiend held level with the bike, inching closer to them. Again, he was masked.  
“Looks like he called for backup.”  
“So did I.”  
On cue, Kuroo sped out from around a vehicle and swung himself feet first off of his bike and at the opposing force. Kenma wasn’t far behind. Tetsurou rendered the enemy temporarily immobile. He sprinted and caught up with Kozume, sitting side saddle in the back seat.   
It was good to see that shit-eating grin of his, “I didn’t know you ride, Iwaizumi-san.”  
“Old hobby of mine.” He shouted over the street noise.  
BlackPanther: Kageyama and Hinata are right behind us.   
Kuroo gave them the thumbs up and fell back towards the other cyclist. We got your back.  
Iwa veered left into a more open lane of traffic. Too open. Their flying friend made a hasty recovery and was back on their trail. Kuroo and Kenma were too far behind to stop him. He was agile and caught up within seconds. Had Kageyama not swooped in and intercepted, they would’ve been done for.   
The cyclist came close but braked just as fast. He pulled his bike to the side and parked himself, anxiety-driven relief washed over his face as he did so.   
Oikawa and Iwaizumi took that as a win for face value and proceeded to gloat as they made their escape. Tooru tugged on an eyelid and stuck his tongue out as he hollered taunts. Iwa flipped them off, laughing with agreement to whatever his borg spat.  
Neither were paying attention to the bridge.   
It hit Oikawa as soon as he turned around. The fear stricken expression through Hajime off, causing him to turn around. They were going much too fast, and were beyond the point of braking safely.   
“Oh fuck.” Iwa forced out. He was pale and notably shaking.   
“Don’t brake.”  
“Are you crazy?!”  
“I said don’t do it! You trust me right?”  
“But-”  
“Do you trust me?!” Their eyes locked for a matter of seconds. Oikawa had some idea to get them out of this. Iwaizumi understood and gave him a nod. “When I say go, you let go.”  
The edge was approaching quick. Tooru hooked his arms under Iwa’s and waited for the right moment. With speed increased and the perfect amount of momentum, no time was better.  
“Iwa-chan go!”  
Blasters at full power, Oikawa gained enough lift to hoist him and Iwaizumi off of the bike and into the air. Just in time, as the motorcycle toppled over and flew off the edge.  
****  
Mask removed, crimson eyes settled on his ally. “You know the boss is pissed, right?”  
He took off his helm and ran his hands through ashen gray hair. He sighed in frustration, “I know. This is getting too risky. Too public.”  
“As these things do.” The taller hummed.   
There were seemingly long moments of silence between them.  
“They know.” He stated.  
“Hmmm. Well this is an interesting turn of events. But the big guy’s got plans for them. He’s also got a few tricks up his sleeve to cover for your ass. Which he’s going to stomp into oblivion upon your arrival.”


	9. Lost Words Found Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little chapter for Iwa's birthday and HG''s one year anniversary. Hard to believe I've been writing this fic for that long now. Seemed like just yesterday I was figuring out how to upload 2000 words onto here. Now here we are 59 pages and nearly 15000 words later. Thank you all for being there for me and sticking along for this bumpy ride. Especially since this chapter is nothing but filler (I felt so gross writing it). Thanks again for reading! Hope you all enjoy!

Oikawa rubbed his groggy eyes as he rose from the hotel bed. There was a knock on the suite door as Kuroo entered. He seemed a little surprised by the exposed prosthetics and exterior plating. He didn’t catch it earlier when they met, but then again Oikawa usually kept himself under wraps when he was in public. Between that and suiting up, he hadn’t left his guard down for a moment.  
“I apologize-“  
Tooru waved his hand and stopped him there, “no need.”  
“Anyways,” Kuroo changed the subject as he propped himself against the wall, “just came to make sure you’re still alive.”  
Oikawa sighed. “I was fine until I took the suit off. I just got so exhausted that I, shut down.”  
“No, I totally understand.” Kuroo let his words sink in for a moment or two. “You missed his big speech.”  
Kuroo reclined in the spare queen and flipped on the cheap hotel TV. The news was default. He quipped about how advanced society has become and still some things haven’t changed a bit.   
There he was, the man in question. Iwaizumi had already made headlines standing tall behind the podium, Hinata and Kageyama poised as guardians over his shoulder.  
‘Thank you all for coming out on such short notice. I am Iwaizumi Hajime. In light of my father’s disappearance, it is time that someone steps up and takes care of the company until his return.’  
He was blatantly nervous or at the very least fighting the emotional stress of the situation. He shifted in his place behind the stand, fingers etching into the sides of the wood.   
‘This wasn’t something we had planned to happen for a long while, but given the circumstances, I cannot let everything we’ve worked so hard for come to a halt. We will move forward. And we will find him.’ That fire in him returned. ‘I know his kidnappers and accomplices have been keeping a close eye on me and the company, and I want those who took him to know that I’m coming for you.’  
Piercing green eyes glared into the camera as it cut back to the news anchors for discussion. To say the least, they were enamored by this bold successor. They caught the viewers up on the q and a portion. No doubt Iwa really was his son. He even explained that he was kept in the dark for his own safety, but due to the stakes at hand, he forced himself into the light.   
“He’s very blunt, hm?” Tetsurou commented.  
Oikawa nodded in agreement, “has been as long as I can remember. Iwa-chan has no problem saying what’s on his mind.”   
That remark earned a strong side-eye stare from the other cyborg. You’re shitting me, right? It’s more than obvious to the rest of us that he’s harboring company-based secrets and his own military tactics. Not to mention he’s got something going on in there regarding you, but I’m not being paid to play matchmaker here.  
Oikawa returned the pointed look, “What?”  
“Nothing, nothing.”  
Change of subject. “Are you sure we’re safe here?”  
“Mhm,” Kuroo affirmed, “Kenma’s out on guard. Babe’s got great night vision. Kageyama and Hinata won’t let anyone come anywhere near Iwaizumi. Speaking of, they should be back any moment now.”  
Oikawa sat at the corner of the bed, joining the other in watching TV. He knew Kuroo was studying him and assessing the damage done. By now, he was used to this sort of thing. Even Iwa occasionally looks him over, which Oikawa can only assume he’s insuring nothing needs to be fixed. Tetsurou had no intentions on being rude about it, then again, he too was part machine. Tooru’s reactions were snider around humans for gawking at him. They held little to no respect for these other beings that were every bit as conscious as they are. These beings that were once exactly like them.   
Both of their heads snapped up as the hotel lock dinged and the door slid open. Hajime entered first, followed by the borg and droid. Kuroo was honestly expecting Oikawa to greet him like a 1950s housewife would her husband, but he waited for the human to come to him. And he did just that. They sat and talked for a while, short exchanges of conversation in low voices only they could hear, until both of them were fully briefed on the situation at hand.   
How the hell are they so blind?  
“Oh, that reminds me.” Iwaizumi spoke up as he dug into his bag. He pulled out a small letter, heavy from the parchment it was made of and still protected by a deep violet seal. “We’ve been invited to a corporate ball. It is a little last minute, but we were extended a warm welcome from the other engineering companies and many have offered their services for the cause.”  
“Who’s hosting?” Tooru asked. Iwaizumi almost instantly knew he was asking for trouble instead.  
“I know what you’re getting at,” he huffed, “we’re not here to accuse anyone. It’s a very formal event. I expect you to be on your best behavior. But that’s not to say we can’t learn a few things that may shed some light on recent happenings.”  
There was no argument there. The plan was solid and they had a whole day ahead of them in preparations to this occasion. Everyone was disarmed and suited up for sleep.   
Kageyama and Hinata retired to the suite, but there was a bit of confusion when Kuroo refused to budge from his spot on the queen. Even more so when Kenma slid under the covers beside him.  
Feeling the remaining pair of eyes set on him, the cyborg finally spoke out, “What?”   
“The other room only has a king. They beat us to it and Kenma and I are not sleeping on that couch.” Tetsurou complained as he got cozy. Kenma signed him good night, Kuroo returned it, and rested his eyes.  
Hajime shrugged and eased back into the bed. Oikawa was hesitant, but nevertheless he curled up under the comforter.   
When was the last time we were like this?  
It was about eight years ago from now and another failed upgrade. There were a few times where Oikawa almost flatlined on the table. His body wouldn’t take to the new appliances and what was there refused to be removed. Time and again they tried to fix and improve, but to no avail.  
He wheezed and wailed upon gaining consciousness. The pain was unbearable and no amount of medication put an end to it. Iwaizumi Senior carried him to his home. He couldn’t in the right mind ship Oikawa to his own house in this condition. Oikawa would swear on his life that he took better care of him than his own father. Not a day went by when he noticeably felt the guilt radiating off of him. He worked tirelessly, thinking of new methods, advancements, and technology to try to make things better.  
Back then Hajime only had the single. The second bed was on its way but he was more than willing to share if this was the case. Swaddled in a few blankets, the borg was set down gently on the mattress. Oikawa remained still, tears rolling down the left side of his face, bandage wraps covering the right. Carefully, Hajime laid himself by his best friend.   
He didn’t know what to do. He felt horrible in his own way watching him suffer. Tooru himself felt helpless and hopeless. Again he was unchanged and feeling less human than ever. His head flopped over onto young Iwa’s shoulder and he welcomed it. Rough fingers carded through chocolate hair. It seemed to be calming, but he still whimpered and whined.   
‘I’m here.’  
Oikawa stared at Iwaizumi’s hands as they moved. They shook as they rested, Iwa was never good with sign language, but he always felt the need to try.   
‘I’m here for you.’

Oh yeah, that’s right.   
Brown eyes fell on the fairly-built figure with his back turned to him. Lights were out, but the room was clear enough to see the sleeping vigilantes beyond them.  
“Hajime?” His voice was barely above a whisper.  
It was met by a questioning grunt in response.  
“I’m here for you…”  
Iwa was quiet for a moment. He shifted slightly to look over his shoulder, giving a glimpse of his green eyes.   
“I know.”


	10. To Thicken the Tension, Add Flour. Let Blood Boil at 212 Degrees.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Look at me! Two updates in one day! 
> 
> Finally wrapped up this chapter. Well, it's half of what I wanted to accomplish. This chapter ended up being much longer than expected, so I had to cut it. Happy super late birthday to Oikawa, was going to do something for his birthday, but things came up. Anyhoo, I might try to finish it for the sake of it. Hope you guys all like! Thanks for reading!

Pale and partly robotic fingers carded through slick hair. Oikawa for the life of him couldn’t get one strand of hair to stay down. Flustered, he gave up and scrubbed the excess gel off of his hands. The brunette threw on his tux jacket and slipped gloves on.  
“Leave them.”  
Tooru whipped around to come face to face with Hajime. “Leave what?”  
“The gloves. You don’t need them. You look stupid, like someone’s lost butler.” Iwaizumi smirked.  
Oikawa wasn’t in the mood. “I don’t want to see them.”  
It was out of the question. He took the cyborg’s hands and removed the accessories himself. “Your hands are fine. There’s nothing wrong with them. If anyone says otherwise, just show them what they can do.” He winked.  
Oikawa rolled his eyes. “You can let go of my hands now. I am not trying to start a fight at this place. Least not without reason.”  
“Hey. I know. Remember, just testing the waters for now.” Iwa gave him a firm pat on the back. “But you can hit the bastard that thinks of cyborgs as anything less than everyone else. Whether it’s six percent or forty, human is human. Same goes for little Hinata. He’s just as perceptive as the rest of us. If you could keep an eye on him, I’d appreciate it. I don’t want anyone fucking with him.”  
Tooru took his gloves back to hang them up, not before bowing his head to Iwa. “Yes, my lord.”  
“Oh shut the hell up.”  
A car outside honked rather impatiently.  
CheshireCat: Paging Mr. Iwaizumi-san. Your ride is ready. Been ready.  
H.Iwaizumi: Be there momentarily. Thank you for taking us, Kuroo. I’ll be sure to deposit a bonus sometime tomorrow.  
ChesireCat: Take your time. What’s the rush??  
‘Smooth.’ Kenma moved his hands.  
“Oh hush up, Pudding Head.” Kuroo groused. “Besides, we’re getting a little extra cash on top of it.”  
Everyone piled in. Oikawa sat isolated in the very back. Normally talkative, his silence brought attention to him.  
“Oya, is he okay?” The question came from Kuroo, spoken just loud enough for Iwaizumi to hear.  
“He’ll be fine. He’s not a fan of car rides.”  
Tetsurou glanced back between the two of them. Not much of that made sense. Flying was no problem. Hell, motorcycles were about a thousand times more dangerous in cars but Oikawa could’ve cared less. Could be that Iwa’s presence was influencing him to feel safer? Can’t be the case as he was sitting a seat in front of him. Cars. It has to do with cars alone. Was he this nervous when the two of them pulled in to the company building? The dark-haired tom shrugged it off. Wasn’t his place to ask, just to get them there safely. Though driving the speed limit was out of question.  
****  
“Jesus Christ in a hand basket!” Kuroo swore as he stuffed the valet ticket in his pocket. “Don’t you think guests should be honored with free parking? Shit’s expensive.” He caught up to the rest of the crew. Kenma didn’t bother to chastise him. Hinata caught his attention with how wily all the new sights made him. Kageyama confessed that the ginger droid had never stepped foot outside of the edifice until recent. Certainly, he had his hands full tonight.  
“Welcome to Shiratorizawa.” Oikawa spat in response to Tetsurou’s complaint.  
“I do believe that is my line.”  
Everyone was on edge. They did a 180 to reveal an imposingly tall man emerging from a slick, black sports car. He removed his shades and handed them off to an associate with notable ruby hair. Venomous green eyes looked them over before extending a hand to Hajime.  
He introduced himself. “Ushijima Wakatoshi, head of Shiratorizawa Incorporate. Pleasure to finally meet the lot of you.”  
The human met him with an equally firm grip. “Likewise. Thank you for having us.”  
His attention fell onto Kuroo, unintentionally intimidating the latter to convince him to leer back. “How right of you, you all are my guests, no? All expenses are on me. It’s been a minute since representatives of Seijou have graced us with their presence. Do enjoy yourselves. My partner Tendou will show you the highlights.” Hesitantly, Ushijima was handed the ticket. He tucked it away in his coat pocket and proceeded to speak with his chauffeur.  
Tendou led them towards the main entrance, going over the history of the event and how this structure came to be through means of donations and years of determination. Hinata was enthralled by everything the, what appeared to be, borg had to say. He asked many questions that Satori was more than happy to entertain to. Kageyama shook his head at his miniature boyfriend’s insatiable curiosity, though unbeknownst, he was taking notes of everything spoken among them. Kenma, just as silent, was doing the same.  
As expected, Oikawa was most displeased. He did nothing to conceal his apprehension in regards to this so-called, benefactor. That terrorist from a few nights back was wearing gear made from his company. What was he doing? Was he funneling money and supplies to this organization? Was he the head of the organization? Why was he being so friendly? Is this all a cover up for what he really has planned?  
So lost in thought, he hadn’t realized that he and Iwa veered off from the rest of the group. Hajime was talking to Tooru, yet it’s like the words went over his head. He couldn’t focus. Oikawa mustered up an occasional ‘uh huh’. Coming back to, Iwa handed him a small plate of hors d’oeuvres.  
“How’s the view up there?” He asked.  
Oikawa cocked a brow, “what?”  
“Come back into orbit, will you?” Iwaizumi cracked a smile and elbowed his mechanical friend. “We’re here to have a good time. Don’t think too much.”  
It was an order that he wish he could obey. To no avail. There was too much going on. Too many things not adding up, and the things that did were not good in the least bit. Tooru finally realized how far over their heads they were in this. It was like every minute detail was a concrete brick tied to him, weighing him down further into dark waters. Only now had he looked up to see the last of the light on the surface. It wasn’t long before the person he was certain threw him overboard greeted them both.  
“I hope everything is to your liking.” Ushijima inquired.  
Iwa nodded, “it’s an amazing party and everyone seems to be enjoying themselves.”  
“Just about everyone,” All in reference to Oikawa. “Oikawa Tooru, I presume? It is an honor to have you here as the world’s first cyborg. Your success story singlehandedly changed the world has we know it.” He offered his competitors a glass each of fine wine. Iwa accepted, Oikawa refused.  
“Can’t say the same. In my opinion, the world was fine as is.” The borg’s challenge was issued.  
Nothing intimidated this man. He got a good chuckle at the statement, “if it were so, then your friend Hajime and I would be bankrupt, hm?”  
Iwa joined him, his laugh synthetic. Green embers burned as they glared at Oikawa. You’re overstepping your boundaries, jackass. You’re reading too much into this.  
Oikawa hummed as he ate one of the snacks, “I wouldn’t say that.”  
What the fuck are you doing?  
“Oh? How so?” A genuine question.  
Tooru explained the unorthodox events in detail. The kidnapping Ushijima was fully aware of, hence the reason Iwa stepped up in his father’s place. But there was a behind the scenes tour he was missing out on between then and now. He brought up the potential rogue cyborg-based attacks with high-tech weaponry. The shipyard with the arms dealers. The illegal devices they received. The storage of militant vehicles. The threat against their lives and those of innocent bystanders. On top of that, whose name was branded on the armor…  
Wakatoshi appeared to be in shock, “I had no idea. It was my understanding that one of our facilities was robbed of a few prototype suits months back. Untagged, we couldn’t recover them. They were highly experimental and nowhere near ready for test drives even. These suits were going to revolutionize emergency care. But they kept malfunctioning when exposed to high temperatures, rendering them unsuitable for fire and rescue.”  
“They sure didn’t seem experimental.” Oikawa remarked, playing this mental game of chess. He was going to force him to concede.  
“If you are insinuating that I had something to do with the weaponized prosthetics, then you couldn’t be further from the truth. I do heavy testing of my equipment myself.” Ushijima rolled up his right sleeve to reveal what appeared to be a normal arm at first glance. But upon closer inspection, the outer coat was reflective and mechanical workings could be seen underneath if scrutinized. “I’ve given up my humanity to improve the lives of those who had no choice in the matter.”  
A rather unexpected move. Well played. Oikawa had admitted defeat, the back of his head starting to burn where Iwaizumi was scowling.  
“I understand your concerns, Tooru. They are all in good nature. Should you need assistance in this battle, feel free to contact me.” He raised the abandoned gesture of kindness to his lips after he extended yet another offer of generosity.  
“It’s Oikawa to you. And I think we’re good.” The bionic man glowered.  
Ushijima nodded and set the glass down. “Suit yourself. I’m glad we could have this conversation. But the night is still young. I’ll leave you both to enjoy the rest of the event.”  
The brunette grinned with the upmost insincerity, “we’ll have a wonderful time. You needn’t worry about that, Ushiwaka.”  
Seijou’s new head had enough, and was already wandering away. Oikawa took the opportunity to follow.  
“Oh, and Oikawa,” the olive-haired man called out.  
Tooru didn’t answer, though he stopped and glimpsed back over his shoulder. Something immediately felt off about the opposing borg. His smile appeared more hostile, unwavering eyes seemed to stare right through the other individual.  
“It’s Ushijima. It will do you good to remember that.”


	11. If Something's Not in the Water, it's Certainly in the Wine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part two of the big dance chapter. Whew. Was gonna make the dance much more elaborate and graceful, and stuff, but I noped. Hope it still suits your needs, sprinkled just a little bit of gay in there to compensate. ;>
> 
> Thank you for reading, hope you all enjoy!

“Boy, way to show your ass tonight.” Iwa’s anger was tangible in his words. He held on to his calm posture as he wasn’t going to attract unwanted attention or make a scene. His reputation was too young, he didn’t need to tarnish it right off the bat.  
“Don’t act like he doesn’t come off as suspicious. He has to be hiding something behind that creepily nice façade.”   
He pinched the bridge of his nose, “I swear I told you not to be a jackass, Shittykawa.”  
Oikawa muttered an apology. He was visibly distraught, nothing hurt more than having his dearest friend tell him off. The conversation ended with Hajime telling him to be more careful and not to do it again. It wasn’t long before the shorter of the two had his attention pulled to two ladies roughly their age, also seemingly the business type. To Iwa, it was nothing but formal affairs, yet he found himself turning to introduce no one.  
The brunette had walked off. He decided he needed a cooldown period. Time away to think. But all he could think of was the dispute and the thought of other people talking to him. Oikawa would be damned if that wasn’t a selfish thought, plagued with caring too much about his companion. But Iwaizumi was just that. A friend to Tooru, and his own human being alongside that. He had the right to do as he pleased based upon his own decisions and feelings. Oikawa simply read too deep into things, or so he believed, but couldn’t convince himself of it.   
His thoughts were interrupted as another borg blocking the glass he was about to pour, “should you be drinking when you’re in a mood like that?”  
Oikawa’s eyes narrowed as he took the glass and wine, “I think I am in control of myself, Tobio-chan.”   
“I am pointing this out for the wellbeing of you and everyone around you. You are a representative of Seijou Co., and you need to act as such. You are thinking too much with your heart and not enough with your head.” The black-haired cyborg stated.  
“I’m sure one or two glasses won’t hurt. Good for the heart or some shit.”  
Kageyama shrugged and dismissed himself, no one could say he didn’t try to stop him. He had his own tiny disaster ball to stress over. Yet Hinata’s whereabouts were unknown. The android broke away from the tour group minutes ago to explore on his own. He doesn’t get out much, or at all for that matter, and his first exposure to the outside world being a larger than life event like this was unplanned and certainly not wise. The android could handle his own if need be, but the nagging memories of Iwa’s advisory to protect him pressed Oikawa to join the search.   
Stupid Tobio should be fired. For a drone, he really does do a shitty job at surveillance. Oikawa kept the snide remark to himself as he picked out the red puffball amidst the crowd.   
Hinata found himself surrounded by people who worked under the opposing company. Brown eyes darted between them as he tried to keep up with questions and pointed statements. He had no time to respond, just shaky sputtering of incoherent sentences.   
**  
Oikawa bored holes into the floor below his bed. Tension headache set in, tears he fought back burned as they dripped down his cheek.   
‘There’s nothing wrong with me. There’s nothing wrong with me. There’s nothing wrong with me.’ Repeating it in his head wasn’t enough to keep the invasive words and thoughts. ‘Something is wrong with me.’  
His older sister entered the room, trying to avoid any and all eye contact. She could feel the resent coming off of him, and knew better than to say something.  
But that’s the thing. She said nothing. She never did.   
Tooru often hoped that she would be there to back him up. Small things originally, things that could be blown off. But this was something that was a part of Oikawa. And she said nothing.  
“I needed you.” He sobbed, anger in every word.  
She had a twinge of remorse, but choked it down as she left the room.  
**   
The ominous cyborg loomed over the interrogators. Facing Oikawa, they were met with a stare that informed them he would smite them where they stand.  
“I think you two have had your fun.” He growled, Hinata skittered to his side immediately on cue. Tight-lipped and with a nod of dismissal, Oikawa warned them again, “now piss off.”  
The heathens wasted no time in their retreat. Once out of sight, Hinata released the breath he was holding for so long. He jolted back a few feet when he realized how tightly he was clinging to Oikawa’s coat.  
Maybe I did come off as a bit of a dick. Hackles down, the automaton attempted to coax the panicked being, “Chibi-chan chill out, its fine. Are you okay?”  
“Y-yeah.” The android stammered as he stabilized. “Thanks for that.”  
“We’re all on the same team here. Just know I always got your back. So don’t be afraid to call me when you’re in a tight spot.” He affirmed.  
His words kindled the fire within Shouyou once more. Looking into the half-human’s eyes with determination, he stated, “Then don’t be surprised when I pay you back.”  
“Hinata, it’s not that serious.”  
“It is.”  
“Okay whatever.” Tooru conceded, knowing he wouldn’t win. “Look, there’s Kageyama. Go pester him for the rest of the night and tell him he owes me ten bucks for babysitting.”  
Little argument was met, and the pair reunited. Before Tobio had time to refute the charges, Oikawa was off again.

Iwaizumi was at a loss. At this point he was more annoyed with himself than Oikawa. He wanted a moment just to talk things out, but for the life of him the cyborg couldn’t be found. This place was hopelessly massive. He could completely walk past him and not even know it.  
“Lose something?”  
Focusing on where the voice rang out from, Iwa caught a pair of yellow eyes and a sly grin standing out from the shadows of a plateau in the first floor wall.   
Iwa sighed, “More like someone. Have you seen Oikawa anywhere, Kuroo?”  
“Mm, he’s been here and there. Seems like he’s avoiding you if you ask me.” He hummed.  
“I know he is.” The human shook his head.  
“Here,” The felidae borg jumped down from his perch, “you look in need of some advice. Kenma and I get sour sometimes, but you know, we never go to bed upset at each other. Heh, one time we got in a verbal fight, and we both just burst into laughter.”  
“Why’s that?”  
“I told Kenma ‘do not raise your voice at me’. We exchanged looks and we couldn’t stop laughing if it was the death of us.” Kuroo snickered and signed the appropriate signs along with the phrase. “No matter what, you guys gotta leave on a high note.”   
Tetsurou gestured behind them to the lone brunette leaning against a marble pillar. He was still noticeably upset, as if the people watching didn’t give it away. Through encouragement, Iwa weaved his way past the crowd to him.   
He paused. He had the words to say but they suddenly escaped him. Why of all times was he unable to say what he needed to say? It was no different than any other time he spoke with him. Maybe it had something to do with the way the atmosphere played off of his figure. How the dim lights caught his smooth chocolate hair, and the candles bringing life into his dark orbs. Perhaps how formfitting the suit was on him. Or was it the way he appeared to be so alone without him?  
The fucking wine is bad. That’s it.   
“Uh, Oikawa.” Hajime called attention to himself, rubbing his chest as if that was going to stop his heart from beating out of control.  
Action prompted question, “You good?”  
“Huh? Yeah, just been a bit frazzled.” Iwa rubbed the back of his head, “Listen, I’m sorry about earlier. I’m just really stressed out about this thing and I don’t want to dig too deep here.”  
Oikawa apologized, “I was being a bit presumptuous.”   
“Are we cool?”  
“Yeah, we’re cool.”  
It was proposed that they participate in one dance for the evening, then call it a night. After all, what was a ball without a ball dance? The Seijou group reunited, awaited the next song to join in.   
Everything was as a traditional ball dance would go, least until a partner switch was commenced. Oikawa never took his eyes off of Hajime for a minute, and when he saw who his next partner would have been, he knew he had to intervene. Cut off from Iwa, Oikawa came face to face with Shiratorizawa’s CEO.   
You must take me for an idiot, Ushiwaka-chan. Let’s make this clear now, if you want to get to Iwa-chan, you will have to go through me.   
The other borg almost instinctively knew of Oikawa’s intentions and threats towards him. He answered the challenge and accepted the dance, his sharp conveying his response.  
So be it.


	12. A Premonition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gets worse before it gets better. I'll keep reiterating that. Strap in now because Chapter 13 is set to be much worse, and so on. I tried to throw in a last bit of softness, and for those who beta read, I snuck in a little bonus for you all to find. Thanks again for reading, apologies in advance, and hope you all enjoy!

Things are changing.  
Any other night, Oikawa slept like the dead, even with an imposing nightmare. The repetition of it was like watching an old movie in play that he’s seen a thousand times. No longer did it get an emotional rise out of him. But tonight proved itself different. He tossed and turned, kicking off the comforter as he fought his subconscious. 

His eyes finally snapped open. But he wasn’t in the hotel. From what he gathered, Oikawa was in the passenger seat of a relatively old truck, passing through a vaguely familiar suburban residence.   
“You’re awake. Glad you could finally join me, Oikawa.”  
Tooru felt the color leave his face as his eyes locked on to the speaker with horror. Sitting across from him in the driver’s seat was none other than Ushijima. He was unnervingly lax, honed in on the road ahead with one hand on the wheel and the other resting on the gearstick.   
Before Oikawa could question anything, he spoke, “We seem to have a lot to talk about.”  
“We have nothing to discuss. You aren’t even real. This is just a dream, and you’re just a figment of my imagination.” The brunette interrupted.  
The demeanor of the driver shifted so suddenly. He leered down at the other borg with such pity taken upon his helpless soul.   
“Ah, but whose dream is it?” Ushijima’s question was left unanswered and he took it upon himself to continue. “Now, this is simply a recommendation, but for your own safety and the safety of others, I would quit while you’re ahead.”  
Oikawa scowled, “Now why should I do that? Unless it is possible you are hiding something? Something that would ruin you if the world were to find out?”  
Against the dark reds of the sky and dull foreboding neighborhood, Wakatoshi stood out as this daunting entity. There was no better way to describe it as he looked less and less human. He was no longer this well-composed and charismatic gentleman he encountered at the gala.   
The answer was plain and simple. “Because people could get hurt.”  
Before Oikawa could retort against the threat, Ushijima switched gears and accelerated. No seatbelt, the car lurched as it raced forward, throwing the borg back into his seat.   
“Ushiwaka slow down.” He commanded.  
“Do you understand the representation of being reckless in situations that do not cause for it?”  
“I do not understand-“  
“If you do not understand the consequences of your actions, how do you expect to proceed?”  
“Ushiwaka I’m warning you. Slow down this car.” Tooru at this point was gripped with anxiety, the only thing holding him securely to the seat were his own hands digging into the ragged fabric.  
“Do you understand that you are not in control of the situation at hand?”  
A glance out the window had Oikawa sick to his stomach. He wanted to look away or close his eyes but it was like watching a disaster unfold.   
He put out a final warning, “Ushijima slow down this fucking car!”  
When he was given no response, Oikawa reached for the wheel to steer the vehicle off course in an attempt to convince Ushijima to stop. He couldn’t predict would happen next. Ushijima’s hand switched from the gear towards Oikawa’s. Oikawa let out an ear piercing scream as mechanical talons pierced through the flesh of his hand, nailing it to the dashboard. Struggling was proving to be pointless as his hand would not free itself from between without being shredded. He was at the mercy of this deranged creature.  
“Then you understand that you cannot break yourself away from the inevitable.”  
Things looked too familiar. Away now from the more populous neighborhoods and into a wooded area where homes became sparse. A pale house at the beginning of the street, yard still being constructed with an unfinished fence. Oikawa refused to believe it as he passed by his parents working on renovations to their still fairly new home. But that was over a decade ago. Through deduction, he affirmed that this was where he lived. Which then indicated that coming up on the left was Iwa’s house. Rising over at breakneck speed, he felt overwhelming dread as he was right.   
Even more so when he saw a ball roam beyond the yard and into the street.  
Tooru wanted to scream and yell as he watched the events unfold before they happened. The window crank was missing and he couldn’t break through the glass. Not without his armor. All he could do now is watch, immobilized by fear as he watched his younger self cautiously walk into the road.   
Nothing could describe the feeling Oikawa felt as he looked into the eyes of his past self. Seeing the child look death in the face and submitting to the power of a higher being as he was certain that would be his last moment.

“Tooru! Tooru!”  
Sleep function override.  
The automaton jolted awake in a cold sweat. It took about a minute for him to settle down enough to realize everyone was awake and staring right at him. It was unsettling to see so many concerned faces on him.   
Iwaizumi was the first to come into focus.   
“What happened? You started growling and whimpering about something.” He knew better than to ask if he was okay.  
“I need air.” It was the only thing Oikawa could say clearly. He stood up rigid like a board and left the room without a second glance. As much as he wanted to go outside, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. It was the middle of the night, and the sound of heavy mechanical footfall would cause more than a disturbance at the rate he was pacing. Never in a million years did he think he would miss those damned socks.  
Iwa caught him as he pivoted around. “Oikawa. Talk to me.”  
“It’s just,” Tooru huffed, “I can’t explain it.”  
“Hey, take it easy.” Hajime cooed, “You’re still riled up. Just take a few moments to clear your mind.”  
I can’t tell you. I really can’t. You would get after me about these irrational thoughts. It’s all in my head, and I’m demonizing people who may be completely innocent.  
“I wouldn’t have woken you up if something wasn’t bothering you. I’m genuinely worried about you, Oikawa.” Iwa was referring to an emergency ‘wake up’ system installed in Oikawa’s hardware. It was planned ahead of time, and one of the few attachments the robotics didn’t reject. In case of events where Oikawa’s sleep cycle needed to be disrupted, one could manually ‘flip a switch’ to wake him. The only people who knew its whereabouts or how it worked would be the Iwaizumis, supposedly it was somewhere in the mechanics of the right ear. It seemed like Hajime was sharing his fretfulness. He lost eye contact as he gestured at pure nothingness. “You started screaming. You never scream, especially not like that. Like it sounded like something was physically hurting you.”  
Iwa wasn’t ready for the arms that coiled around him. Ever since puberty make everything awkward as far as affection went, it became something far and few in between. But these circumstances called for it. Times were getting stressful, dangerous even, and Oikawa admittedly needed some reassurance. Even if it’s that false sense of security. It’s something that ensures that he’s not alone and someone is experiencing the same thing he is. Undoubtedly, Iwa hugged him back.   
Hajime caved in and indirectly admitted he needed this too. He tightened his grip on the borg to bring him close enough so that he could rest his chin on his shoulder. It felt different. In a good sense, but the feeling couldn’t be placed. Gazing at one another, they could tell there was a deeper meaning to it. Nothing else could be communicated. Both were lost for words. Faces just inches apart, felt like they were drawing closer.  
“Uh, guys?” Hinata piped up, the two instinctively separating in response, “you need to see this.”  
Filing back into the room, they gathered in front of the TV. There was a line of policemen and women fencing of the Shiratorizawa building. Immediately they turned up the volume to listen in.  
Breaking news: three attendees turned up missing after the annual corporate ball. Thus far, there are no eyewitnesses to report when exactly each victim disappeared, any citizens who may know are urged to contact the police immediately. Shiratorizawa CEO Ushijima Wakatoshi has reached out to the families of those who are missing with his condolences and vows to find whoever is responsible. Names of the missing are Haiba Lev, Nishinoya Yuu, and Semi Eita… this is just an addition to those who went missing earlier this month including the head of Seijou, civilians Kyou--  
The silence in the room was deafening. At this point everyone was on the same trail of thoughts.   
“We’ll wait for what the news can tell us, then we’ll take it upon ourselves to make things right.” Iwaizumi said.  
Oikawa asked, “So we’re going all in?”  
“Yes.”


	13. Ist das der Engel, der vom dämmernden Himmel hinunter flog?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ist das der Teufel, der aus der Felsenspalte heraus kroch...
> 
> Apologizing in advance. I couldn't wait to post it. I'm sitting on four chapters now and I've had this waiting for a minute. Sigh, it was going to happen sooner or later and somehow it ended up much sooner than expected. This isn't going to get much better from here and when it seems like it picks up, I aim below the belt again.   
> To my beta readers I'm sorry again. Didn't change a thing, you all suffered enough. 
> 
> Despite the evil doings I have committed, I hope you all are still enjoying my story. Thank you for reading, see you soon. -curls up in bunker-

“You know I don’t like doing this.”   
Semi was unresponsive. His head hung low in shame, unable to break his gaze from the ground. As a precaution, his hands were bound behind his back. Not because he would fight back, because his reflexes will force him to defend himself. In the end it makes matters worse on both ends. Messier. More painful.  
The entity before him was pacing wildly like much like a lion or tiger in front of a cage when it’s near feeding time. Looking up at the beast was a challenge, and could not be met.   
The footfall hushed. “You failed to meet my expectations. You exposed our little operation to those nosy heathens I asked you to take care of.”   
“I understand the errors I have made and I know I must correct it.” Eita replied.  
The cyborg in the shadows shifted. Semi caught a glimpse. Glowing green orbs remained fixed on him. Though his sight never wavered, it felt like it pierced right through him, seeing into the core of his being. Like judgement, yet so hollow and unforgiving.  
“Three weeks and no one bothered for the ransom.” It came out as more of a statement than a question.  
“Unfortunately it is so. At least in your case.” The sound of movement picked up again. “Just not enough raised to ‘release you’, and it’s been just about a month. Short one is fetching for a pretty penny though. But I don’t have time to negotiate. It’s been delegated already. Whether the others live, die, or subject to testing is up to them now.”  
Semi nodded, “That’s all I wanted to know.”  
His eyes closed tight as outstretched claws cupped his chin. He already felt the twinge of pain despite the light grasp. As the claws moved upwards, Semi tilted his head back at the same rate. He didn’t need to feel more agony than he was already in.  
**  
After everything being so quiet to the public, this shook the news station. A very rough video of a building was displayed, rounding a strung up body within the very mecha suit that, inhabited, had been seen pursuing Seijou Co. Despite the purposeful use of low quality footage, blood and oil fluids had dripped down the limp figure from the neck down.   
Ushijima was questioned but declined to speak. He claimed he was overwhelmed by the grief of losing one of his most valued colleagues, yet he felt betrayed now knowing that the victim in question, Semi Eita, was confirmed one of the thieves of prototype armor.  
How convenient…  
Oikawa paused his recorder. This is what they were up against. Gathering evidence, though fragmented, was pointing to something far beyond their comprehension.   
Behind him, Iwa was busy updating an extensive list of disappearances. Thus far, twenty-seven people have been taken. At least to their knowledge. Now one confirmed dead. One of theirs. Smart distraction from public eye, but a chilling reminder of their capability and how far they are willing to go.  
Sunshine: Are you guys seeing this?   
Archangel: Yes. Thoughts?  
Corvid9: We have a lot to discuss when we get back.  
H.Iwaizumi: Unquestionably.  
After checking in to yet another hotel under a fake identity, Hajime arranged a meeting based upon their collected data.  
“This guy is fucking nuts.” Kuroo was the first to speak. Arms crossed and back against the wall, he stood by his own choice of words. “I mean, he’s sending out a warning by displaying his corpse up there for everyone to see.”  
Oikawa murmured, “That people will get hurt.”  
It seemed like the coalition felt the deeper meaning behind the words. No one had the courage to ask what he meant, but they took it for face value.   
“We can’t go assuming it is them, but we can gather more information. With utmost caution, I believe we can collect enough incriminating evidence.” Iwaizumi said.  
Kageyama stepped forth and volunteered to monitor any unusual activity occurring around that corporation. It only made sense as he was designed primarily for surveillance purposes. He knew the risk he was taking, and fully embraced it. By the end of the week, Tobio would be running feed through to an off grid Seijou location. Anything Shiratorizawa Inc. was hiding would be exposed. They would be forced to surrender and come clean.  
Least that’s what they hoped to accomplish.  
**  
Breaking news: the disappearance of many has continued and the cybernetic attacks have not ceased since the declared death of Semi Eita. There is evidence supporting that this terrorist organization is a highly unified society though their reasoning behind the kidnappings are still unknown. Not much is known about what the organization has to gain from this, but investigators will continue to follow the story.  
**  
Urgent news: Figures presumably cyborg seen soaring have been reported. Companies have not filed for stolen equipment, and the linkage to the unknown cyborgs is prominent yet not confirmed. It is advised that civilians stay indoors as a curfew is being placed.  
**  
Headlines: Cyborgs: Fulfilling wildest fantasies or satisfying sci-fi villainous roles? Question arise of the morals of cyborgs alike are being questioned. As of today, cosmetic shops are frozen and all further transactions for robotic enhancements are prohibited. Should emergencies arise, hospital OR staff may opt to use cybernetics. Major businesses that stemmed the creation of technical enhancements have declined all interviews. Oikawa Tooru, the first to ever become part robot, has yet again refused all press. Suspicion around him as a just being under the young Iwaizumi, who suddenly appeared after his father’s disappearance, are beginning to surface and the mental stability of such entities are in question.   
**  
A memorial service for the missing is being held at the Shiratorizawa convention center, sponsored by both Ushijima and Iwaizumi. For more details, please consider visiting their company sites.  
**  
After so much careful planning and information gathering, Kageyama finally broke the seal. Shiratorizawa’s headquarters were disclosed to him, and he will be able to conduct his first full scale Intel retrieval. Submerged deep in coastal woods, stood the imposing infrastructure. Above a main ground set of levels, a daunting pillar just touching the skyline, it was a wonder how it had managed to stay concealed for so long. Even more so, why.   
Scaling the first subset undetected was easy. The whirring of turbines and occasional beat of wings threw Tobio into incognito mode. Sidling along the base of the tower, he blended in with the darkness. Breaking the canopy line, a dark winged figure fluttered slightly at the incoming incline of the building. Not much could be made out, but a wide stature with large talons on its hands and feet and piercing green orbs likely used for night vision. Masked, like the others had been. There was something held in the left hand. Not something. Someone. Someone’s mortal life was in danger to this beast. It ascended to a roof-converted landing pad, occasionally scraping against its own domain for leverage.   
I have to stop him. I have to stop him.  
The drone raced to the top to confront the now lone creature. They had a system. Grab and go. Make everything as quick and efficient as possible. The borg threatened to walk off into the building, when Tobio caught his attention.  
“Don’t move.” Kageyama demanded.  
The voice behind the mask was distorted, “I don’t think you understand the mistakes you have just made.”  
The raven-haired man took a fighting stance against this thing. He was a skilled fighter, calculating and agile, and he already foresaw the hardships of detaining the enemy. The challenge was ignored as the opponent stepped closer to the entrance. Kageyama repeated himself once before he lunged. The unidentified automaton engaged the assailant and threw him off course.   
He got the hint this time. The beast switched to a defensive stature. Whatever Kageyama threw at him, he deflected. Damage done was minimal yet Tobio was fast enough to evade injury himself. Once he saw the opportunity he took it. A swift bow to the face of the foe was enough to send him stumbling back. The mask cracked beyond repair and dislodged itself.  
Kageyama was frozen in disbelief. Before him was the leader of Shiratorizawa himself. Their eyes locked and Kageyama knew he had to make a decision then and there.  
He turned tail and spread his wings. He had to get airborne as soon as possible. He had to make it back. He had to tell them everything.  
Because everything they thought was true.  
Ushijima took off from the rooftop. He was more than willing to initiate a dogfight despite the risks. Looking back on it, Kageyama concluded that he fell into a trap. Everything just sat perfectly in place. He discovered incriminating evidence centered on the disappearances and that Ushijima no less was behind it all. Ushijima himself lead Kageyama to him, knowing Kageyama would be no match. The only twist was the grand reveal. Evasive measures were taken to shake the assailant off of his trail. He darted between the forest and the sky and sped towards the foothills. It seemed to be working. If he could make it to the mountain range, he had a better chance.   
Ushijima had closed in the gap enough to swipe at him. Talons scraped against Tobio’s calf, exposing essential hardware and severing fluid lines. His best bet was to fly through the pain and up to the clouds. Quick angles were a weak point in Wakatoshi’s armor. Shooting straight up, his dark wings beat furiously in effort to escape.   
Breaking the wall of low-lying clouds, Kageyama evened out. Eyes searching frantically for the worst, he believed to have lost his pursuer.  
He couldn’t be more wrong.   
“No signal. Of course there’s no fucking signal,” He swore. No connection was available to reach out for help, yet there was access earlier. Shiratorizawa had to be emitting a wall to block everything. They really were off the grid.  
Something caught Tobio’s attention. Somewhere behind him was the whirring of jet noise. It wasn’t typical noise. It sounded smaller, yet fairly quiet. By the time he pin pointed where it came from, it was too late.  
Ushijima was directly above him. The only thing Kageyama had time to register was the different formation of his wings. Rather than shifting freely as bird-based wings do, they were locked into position, angled back. Panels were held together tightly, much like that of a B-2. They served the same purpose as well. Fairly fast, wind resistant, and most importantly, stealth.   
It all happened so fast, yet it felt like years in the process. Ushijima’s wings switched at just the right moment as he drudged Kageyama down with him. It was a momentary free fall, with the latter speared into the rocky ground below.   
Pain radiated through every part of the borg’s body. He was torn up badly. He shuddered and wheezed as he tried to fight it back. This was survival. He had to either keep running or find some place to hide. Running was the only plausible option.   
Gotta get up. Gotta get up.  
The pressure of heavy metal asserted itself in the middle of Kageyama’s back. Razor sharp claws equipped on the assailant’s foot dug in as the wounded cyborg let out a pained cry.  
“I don’t think my warning was clear enough, do you?” The imposing being loomed over Kageyama, who desperately made an effort to crawl away. “Oh? If you wanted to get away, then you should have said something. Let me help you.”   
Ushijima grabbed Kageyama by the back of his neck and one-handed, tossed him some distance away. An all too late adrenaline high kicked in and Kageyama was able to stumble up onto his feet only to come crashing down behind an old oak. Something was broken. Definitely broken. His left leg was barely intact, bits of metal keeping it from dislodging entirely. He hadn’t noticed that half of his right wing was slabbed off, probably from the impact of the fall. The left was unresponsive. Pressing his back against the tree only caused more searing pain. Dull blue eyes searched the sky for the slightest bit of hope and were met with the dark overcast he relied on to save him. The sky above became blurry as tears clouded his vision. The sound of metal footsteps against hard ground drew ever closer.  
“Hinata,” he sobbed, “I’m so sorry.”  
Tobio covered his mouth as he broke down. The thoughts of never seeing the android, the being who restored meaning to his life, hurt more than anything he was experiencing. He couldn’t leave him. Not now.   
The deranged borg hovered over him, “found you.”  
Kageyama summoned all his strength and leapt at Ushijima. He swung and kicked at him with every ounce of fight he had left. He wasn’t going to surrender though it was futile. Ushijima was nearly unscathed, easily backing away from every attack that was thrown at him.   
He had enough. Ushijima rammed his talons into Kageyama’s stomach. Kageyama immediately doubled over, having the air knocked right out of him. Ushijima pressed a foot to Kageyama’s chest and pushed him off. He crouched by the borg that was hardly clinging onto life.  
“I helped you earlier, so now maybe you can help me.” He began. “You see, never before has a suit retained so much power. Not even your little bastard friend. And you are living proof that cyborgs are pretty damn hard to subdue.”  
He hoisted Kageyama onto his feet. The injured being remained slouched, unable to protect himself. He swayed as he faded in and out of consciousness.   
Tilting his head up, he was blinded by the pure light and energy being built up in Ushijima’s left hand. He was unsure how, but it appeared Ushijima had harnessed the power of high voltage electricity.   
Ushijima struck him with everything he had.


	14. Heaven's Not Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If when you get there, just another blue...
> 
> Y'all kept looking for it so here it is. Remember if you guys kill me, the story can't be finished. Just saying. Again, apologies for the sad. It was necessary to the plot and I've had it planned from the beginning in all honesty. Worse before it gets better.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy and thanks for reading!

The Seijou group took cover as they were hit with cloudburst. Kageyama sent out an emergency beacon minutes ago. It cut off abruptly when it was first issued, and re-sent a short while later.   
“Why would he issue a distress signal, turn it off, and turn it back on? I didn’t think it was possible.” Kuroo questioned.  
Iwa responded, “It’s not.”  
Nothing was sitting right with them after seeing the nearby blast of ground to cloud lightning that triggered the downpour. It’s uncommon for such an event, and extremely dangerous. Walking the rest of the distance made sense under the cover of the canopy. No one questioned when Hinata took the lead, now running towards the call put out by his significant other. He was alarmingly silent and within reason to be.  
No one was prepared for what lied beyond the shrapnel. Hinata made a mad dash out into the open towards the disfigured cyborg.   
“Kageyama?! Kageyama?!” He shrieked, no answer.  
Shouyou kneeled down beside him, shaky arms outstretched to hold the body of his fallen love. Cyborgs were not typically warm, but Kageyama was freezing to the touch. Absent of life. Body dismembered and vital fluid and blood drained. Singed marks were splayed over his entire being. His eyes haunted, staring endlessly beyond the reaches of the sky.   
“Tobio. Tobio please. Please! You can’t- I-” Hinata’s voice failed him as saline solution leaked from his eyes. He fell apart. The android wailed as he cradled Kageyama’s remains. He was overcome with grief as he screamed incoherently.   
Everyone bowed their heads out of respect for their lost comrade. Kenma caught himself wiping away tears, Kuroo trying hard to fight his own. Iwaizumi took it upon himself to approach the redheaded android. He rested a hand gently on his shoulder, yet he couldn’t find anything to say. He and Tooru both knew Kageyama for a decent part of their lives, and to see the end of his before his time was overwhelming. Hinata stared up at him like a lost child, depleted of hope. It was on Iwa to guide him, to guide everyone past this and make things right.   
“We’ll bring back what we can. He doesn’t deserve to be left out here.”  
“He didn’t deserve any of this.” Shouyou hissed as he refused to surrender the body.  
“He didn’t. We will see to it that his death will not go unavenged. Now let’s move. The last thing we need is one of those buzzards finding us.” Hajime ordered as he led the group back under the tree cover.   
Oikawa remained behind for a few minutes. To him it was all too surreal.  
Huh. You end up knowing someone for a good portion of your life, and suddenly they’re just gone. We spent so much time squabbling over the pettiest things, even up till the last minute, and then they’re gone. No time to make up or say I’m sorry I was a jackass. Guess you get just one opportunity. I just wish I could feel remorseful about it. I wish I could cry too, but I just can’t and I can’t figure out why. Oikawa let out a sigh as his thoughts trailed off.  
The others had a head start, but Tooru caught up in no time. They knew he would. There was that sickly feeling again. From the pit of Oikawa’s stomach, he felt uneasy about what was to come, and he was missing something. Turn back, look back, you’re forgetting something. You’re forgetting something. He stopped in his tracks and turned around. From his angle, he could see what they overlooked the first time. His eyes widened as the message came through crystal clear. On differing edges of the cliff walls, doused in robotic fluid presumably Kageyama’s, was another blatant warning.  
Seijou must fall.  
“Oi, Ushiwaka!” Oikawa called out to no one. “I got your memo. If you think we’re going to let you get away with this, then you are dead wrong. Because you fucked with the wrong cyborg!”


	15. You May not Like it, but You're Starting to Look Like a Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 14 was rather short so I figured I'd post 15 in rapid succession. Lots goin' on, and for the most part the rest of the story is gonna be high intensity. An aside, but never rely on a d20 to decide the fates of your story as will be seen in 16...
> 
> Hope you all enjoy! Thanks for reading!

“Well, Oikawa, you are very opinionated about these incidents.” Ushijima commented. “I’m sure you have some idea as how to handle it?”  
“The only plausible way is to find the organization, and persistently attack them right back. These people are relentless. They will fight to the very end. After all, if you’re going to hit it, hit it until it breaks.”  
**  
They returned to absolute disaster.   
Billows of smoke draped the skies above the city. Judging by location, they feared the worst and ran towards it against all instinct. Just a block away they could see it. Firetrucks and ambulances lining the streets though their effort to douse the flames was futile. From face value, there was no building. Flames climbed the walls inside and out, engulfing the infrastructure that was Seijou. Something overheated internally and caused an explosion. The blast of fire and sudden pressure change shook the ground and sent others flying. Civilians screamed as they were ripped away from the building. People were still in there. Human beings.   
Hinata was nowhere to be found. This was all too much for him to handle at once. Kenma recognized that and insisted he’d chase him down.  
“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Iwaizumi swore as he paced around. “Someone has to do something! There are people still in there! I gotta-“  
“Are you crazy?” Kuroo spat. “You’ll burn to a crisp in there! I’m going in. I’m mostly metal, I won’t burn as easy.”  
Hajime stopped dead in his tracks. Tetsurou was right. The cyborg took a deep breath and prepared himself to charge into the blaze.   
A blur of black and red bolted past them. Oikawa didn’t have time to process what he was doing for even a second. He snagged a woman’s gray scarf and hurriedly wrapped it around his mouth and nose, visor active. He sprinted past the brigade and shielded his face as he entered. Tooru managed to make it past the wave of heat unscathed. Surprisingly the main floor was relatively stable. Small flames threatened to grow as they consumed the matter around them. Some portion of the walls and ceilings had collapsed.   
Heightened sense of hearing picked up on groans of distress. Scurrying over to the front desk, he saw Makki and Mattsun trapped under the rubble. Things went south faster than anyone had time to react it seems.  
“Oikawa,” Makki was finally able to acknowledge the borg in front of him.   
“I’m here. I’m going to get you out.” The brunette asserted as he eased the broken concrete off of his legs. There was no way he could expect Takahiro to stand. Tooru locked his arms under his and dragged him out from the wreck. He rested the injured man against a fortified beam that had no means of giving in anytime soon. Mattsun was unresponsive. Oikawa checked his pulse, visor reading off almost immediately. He was still alive, but very hurt. There was a good chance that he had some kind of brain damage, the extent unknown.   
Once the cyborg returned with Mattsun, Makki spoke up, “stop wasting your time on us, Oikawa. We aren’t the only ones in here.”   
Oikawa was taken aback by this request. But before he had time to refute, Makki raised a bloodied hand up to him. “We can hold our own. The medics are just outside, right? They can reach in and grab us. You already did the hard part.”  
He didn’t debate it. Time was of the essence. He nodded once in understanding and delve further into the burning edifice. Not many, but there were a few bodies picked up on radar.   
As Hanamaki watched Oikawa leave, he couldn’t help but to smile. “You loser, I knew you still cared.”  
Flying through the halls was the quickest means of travel. First reading was third floor on the right, though the hallway was completely shrouded in fire. He had to be fast.   
Time ticked by, people anxiously waited. What was going to happen? Would he return? Would he bring out the civilians inside? Will they be alive? Surely enough, Tooru came crashing in from the third floor window, holding a girl who was mildly bruised at best. Everyone cheered, but there was no time. He rested her in the hands of the first responders and revisited the company. Seventh floor, an elderly man and his grandkid. No big deal. Each retrieval was virtually effortless. Another boy on the fourteenth floor, isolated by fallen beams and open flames. He refused to look up through fear and was confined to the small space by the imposing smoke from above.   
“Hey kid.” Oikawa’s voice immediately caught his attention. Their eyes connected for a moment. He’d seen them once before, they were unmistakable. “It’s not safe here. You trust me to get us out?”  
He replied with a simple, “uh huh,” and allowed Oikawa to scoop him up. He removed the scarf and coiled it around the boy’s face.   
“Things are gonna get a little intense. Hold on tight.”   
The automaton took off running. He had to be quick. Walls of fire were closing in fast, concealing all exits. His visor was doing little to protect his eyes and his lungs were burning with every breath he took. But it wasn’t about him. He had to get the kid out. He lit up at the sight of a small opening to a window and made a mad dash for it. Breaking past the barrier, he let them fall prior to slowing down in time before touching the ground. The boy turned to thank him but Tooru was already gone.   
He had to check for others. Starting from the top, he pushed his way down. No readings. No readings aside from the health and safety warnings ringing in his head, to be ignored for now. He reached the bottom. The main lobby wasn’t blocked off by the blaze. Oikawa assumed Mattsun and Makki were recovered as they hoped, seeing they were no longer where he left them.  
Something was off. Very off. Something inside Oikawa told him he had to get out of there that second. His intuition was confirmed as another fuse in the building blew, triggering another three explosions. It was unsalvageable at this point. Whole floors began to collapse and debris flew in all directions. Everyone appeared to be at a safe distance. Everyone but the boy he just saved.   
The child didn’t have time to react. In a matter of seconds he would be crushed under the impeding slab of wall.  
If it weren’t for Tooru’s quick thinking.  
He slid under just as all seemed hopeless. All warnings blared at him for supporting something far heavier than his own self. But he was doing it. Somehow he was holding up. The boy couldn’t help but to stare at him in awe. This guy was a real hero.  
“Hey, I know you’re still gripped with fear and all, but I really need you move, buddy.” Oikawa wheezed as he struggled against the weight of the rubble.   
The child obeyed and ran towards the first responders. As soon as he was a safe distance away, Oikawa activated the boosters in his palms and obliterated the piece of wall. His suit, mechanics, and own physical body at last stopped screaming at him. As he rose, he embraced the sharp pain in his left arm, just below his hand. The visor confirmed that he overshot his limit, and alerted him of a clean break on the radius.   
Shit.  
The borg was bombarded by rescue officials. A gurney awaited him where he was made to recline and receive much needed oxygen. The building was in shambles but everyone had been evacuated safely. Oikawa allowed the medics to inspect and inquire him of any injuries knowing his alleged job was done. There was a slight pinch in his left arm, he assumed by the numbing feeling it was morphine. Everyone was safe. He could relax. Eyes closed, he succumbed to the pain reliever.


	16. The Sour Past and the Bitter Present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exhausted and accidentally posting a chapter before it's even ready. Finals are coming up and I see some of you are getting anxious so here it is. You all have officially caught up to me because chapter 17 is a tough pickle. I'm chipping away at it slowly, and I really miss angst. Have to keep reminding myself that it's right around the corner. Anyhoo, hope you all enjoy! Happy Holidays!!

System reboot.  
Oikawa had been awake for some time now. He already processed the addition of a cast and the likely insertion of more metal. His eyes settled on that awful toothpaste-colored smock that did next to nothing to hide the exposed exoskeleton. The brunette shrunk behind the blankets as he heard knocking on the door.  
“Come in.” Speaking for the first time in a minute left his voice hoarse. The inhalation of smoke certainly did its damage while it could.  
To the borg’s surprise, Kuroo entered the room. Pulling up a seat by the bed, he rested himself.  
“Expecting someone else?” He inquired. “Don’t worry yourself, he’s on his way.”  
“What happened after they took me?” Oikawa asked.  
Tetsurou had to think for a moment. A lot happened, and he had to be sure to get everything in order. Gold eyes focused on the ceiling and situated themselves back on the other automaton.  
“Well, everyone evacuated the area. A handful were hurt, others unscathed, no deaths.” That earned them both a sign of relief. “Seijou Co. collapsed about ten minutes after they rushed everyone to the hospital. I’m sorry, but it’s just gone. Iwaizumi-san is reluctant to try to retrieve anything that may have survived, but that doesn’t seem to be his prime directive. We found Hinata after a while in pretty bad shape. Something’s wrong with our little AI friend. I understand what caused this behavior but he’s not stable.”  
“So are you saying we have to let him sit this one out?”  
Kuroo shook his head, “not likely. Even if we did, he needs to be protected at all costs. We can only assume he’d be safer with us.”  
Oikawa agreed and shifted in the bed. Kuroo had seen the damage done, what’s a little more.  
“Real talk, I’m honestly more concerned about you.”  
“How so?”  
The black-haired man crossed his legs and spoke again, “don’t you think you’re too human? I’m not here to badger you about it, but you got pretty roughed up. Things aren’t getting any brighter on the other side. We’ve seen all the demonstrations of power. They have things that can obliterate one of us in a matter of seconds. Innocent people are still turning up missing, some may be losing their lives. With more to come as this thing escalates. This is war, Oikawa. We’ve been out of the games for a while now.”  
The borg was slightly astonished at the remark, yet as Kuroo explained things became clear. He huffed and almost turned a smile, “I appreciate the concern, Tetsu-chan. But this has become too personal to sit out and my wellbeing has never been a priority of mine.”  
“Don’t you think it’s time you should?” Concern was written on Kuroo’s face at Oikawa’s words. He wasn’t going to force him to talk, again, none of his business. He expressed his concerns to him, what Tooru did with that knowledge was his own decision. “Anyways, glad you made it out alive. Pretty sure that kid is thankful for that too.”  
“Nephew.”  
“Pardon?” Kuroo tilted his head.  
Tooru’s expression was serious, neither his voice nor his eyes wavered as he repeated himself, “that kid was my nephew. What they were doing there was beyond me and boy, do I not give a shit.”  
The other cyborg was shocked to know Oikawa’s family was in mortal danger, yet how he reacted seemed to give Kuroo some insight to his past. It was certainly nothing against the kid, but in regards to his more direct relatives.  
“Damn, I’m sorry.” He began.  
“It’s nothing. He’s okay, that’s all that matters I guess.” The petite automaton turned over on his side. “Is it bad that I can’t help but to think that if they were in that mess too, I wouldn’t have chosen to save them?”  
Kuroo snickered a little, “kinda, yeah. But regardless of how good you are to some people, they will always be shitheads. It’s just in their nature. Just know you don’t have to prove yourself to anyone.”  
He rose from his seat, wished Oikawa well, and departed.  
The opening and closing of the door after Kuroo left caught Oikawa’s attention. Looking up, there was Iwaizumi making his way to the same chair the borg was in earlier.  
“Hey.” Hajime greeted him.  
“Hi.”  
Of course he was going to be the one to scold him. He could make his own business off of how many times he’s warned against him doing something, or ensured he learned his lesson.  
The human let out a frustrated sigh, “you are going to be the death of me, you know?”  
“Look, I-“  
“I was so worried about you, dammit. You can’t go doing stupid shit like that. I mean, you saved all those people and that was good n’ all, but who the fuck was supposed to go in there and save you if you got hurt? Hell, you did get hurt. The suit can only provide you with so much outside of your limits, Shitty—Oikawa.”  
You’re too human. So much outside of your limits.  
Refusing to make eye contact with Iwaizumi, he focused on his broken arm. Forty percent isn’t much, and shouldn’t restrict him this far. He was less human than scrap metal, and felt like it too.  
“Are you listening to me?” Iwa’s tone was enough to get Oikawa to snap his head up. Green eyes were clouded with tears he desperately fought back. “I don’t think you understand what losing you would do to me. You fucking idiot, you just don’t get it.”  
“Iwa-chan,” was all he could say. His mind was full of things that were begging to be said, yet when he tried, his thoughts fled.  
“I don’t think you know how much you mean to me.”  
Was that a confession?  
It’s a damn good thing Tooru wasn’t hooked up to the vitals monitor. His heart was beating a mile a minute. Yet it seemed like the world around him and Iwaizumi fell apart. He was unsure of whether it was actual tunnel vision or nervousness brought on by how close Iwa really was to him. Perhaps both.  
He swore he could drown in those forest green eyes. Neither of them broke away from the other’s gaze as they gradually drew closer.  
This was it. This was the moment. No interruptions. No breaking crises calling for action. No enemies. Just them.  
“Hajime.”  
“Tooru.” Oikawa could practically feel Iwaizumi’s words on his lips.  
**  
He could swear they connected. They touched. The feeling was there. His heart was still racing. How can there be this ghost of Iwaizumi if they didn’t?  
This is so unfair.


	17. I Would've Kept you Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Next few chapters are going to be dialogue and emotion-heavy. I regret nothing. I really hope you guys like it. Again, it's my first time really writing and this chapter is something completely new to me. Happy holidays to everyone! Please enjoy my gift to you, thanks again for reading!

“Oikawa, are you okay?” Iwa’s concerned voice rang out from the corner of the room. He was further away from him than his mind portrayed. “We were talking and you nodded off suddenly. Kuroo said you were pretty awake while he was there. Guess whatever they gave you kicked in.”  
“Huh? I don’t remember. Honestly, I thought I was still awake this whole time.” He held on to the bitterness brought on by his words. The brunette rubbed his eyes haphazardly to rid himself of the tired feeling.   
“I can see that now. Sounded like you called me a few times.”  
Tooru’s heart skipped a beat. This was not going to end well. Two seconds to form some excuse. Any excuse. Something.   
“Was it another nightmare?” There was that tone of concern again.  
It was a suggestion Oikawa could work with. He nodded yes. Iwa rose from his seat and invited himself to sit by him. Warm human fingers carded over cold metallic ones.  
“I told you that I’m here for you.” He assured.  
Brain, if you’re fucking with me again, this isn’t cute. I will deprive you of oxygen.  
“I want this to be over already.” Oikawa huffed. “I want us to be back at home as if none of this ever happened. I never realized how much I’d miss the quiet life. Lazing around, reading graphic novels in bed while you tinker with your mini-projects.”  
Iwaizumi scoffed, “after everything, you call that the quiet life?”  
“I guess so. Honestly I’d rather my insides almost collapse on me again than to deal with all this.” Iwa’s only response was to give him a pointed look as if Oikawa offended him in some way. “What?”  
“You know I still blame myself for that.” He grumbled.  
“Huh? But you know it’s not your fault! You couldn’t have done anything about that.” The borg rebutted.  
“That’s the thing.” It took several months for young Hajime to stop replaying the incident over and over in his head. The clear images of Tooru being tossed up and flung to the ground like a ragdoll stuck with him to this very day. Never before had he felt so powerless. Iwaizumi was hit with his own reality that he wouldn’t always be able to defend his friend. Even now, the hard work he put into the suit to be able to grant Oikawa at least some of the abilities the other cyborgs naturally possess had shown its weaknesses.   
“Hey. Enough of that. I’m here now, aren’t I? I’m not going anywhere. Moreover, neither are you. There’s too much going on here and now that we can’t keep focusing on the past. Too much is at stake for the future.” Oikawa offered him a smile and a light smack on the shoulder.  
Iwaizumi returned the smack, which was followed by a chorus of ‘ows’. “I guess you’re right.”  
Tooru scrunched up his face. It’s been a minute since things had been like this. Been like they were before. But it wasn’t quite the same. Nothing would ever be the same.   
“I’m kinda worried about what’s in store for us.”   
“We’ll figure this out. We’ll put an end to all of this. We’ll rebuild the company and get my dad back-“   
“We will. I promise.” Oikawa affirmed. Not since the discovery of Tobio has his stomach ceased that uneasy feeling. The room lost clarity and everything began to sway. The guilt of knowing something so important began to eat him alive.  
“Hey.”  
Oikawa snapped his head up. Their eyes locked after realizing the lack of space between them. It was unexpected to say the least.   
Why won’t you turn away? Move your head, your body, say something. Do something. Anything. Why can’t you stop looking at those dumb, soft green eyes? That idiotic lopsided smile. He could feel the heat in his cheeks as he dwelled more on his thoughts.  
He called his name. “Tooru.”  
“Yeah?” The response was forced past the lump in Oikawa’s throat. The soreness from the inhalation of smoke didn’t help the matter.  
“When are you going to let me in to that head of yours?”  
The anxiety within began to bubble over. Oikawa couldn’t properly form a single sentence, only spouting out ‘you don’t understand’s, ‘I can’t explain’s, until he finally snapped. “There’s something wrong with me.”  
“Look.” Iwa demanded, anger stirring in his tone. “There is nothing, absolutely nothing, wrong with you. I just don’t get it, Tooru. You’re so amazing. I almost envy how strong you really are after everything you’ve been through. How you keep your composure even in times like this. I can’t begin to tell you how many breakdowns I’ve had over this. But you. You keep pushing forward. You might not even believe half of the shit that’s coming out of your mouth but you try your damnedest to follow through. Nothing slows you down.”  
The borg was left speechless. All this time he relied on Iwaizumi to supply him the strength he needed when he needed it most, but he hadn’t realized how much he reciprocated it.   
Iwaizumi continued, “I wish you’d understand that you are perfect. What is it that I have to do to prove it to you?”  
“Kiss me.”  
The quick reply was unexpected but the challenge was met. Hajime leaned in, placing his hand on Tooru’s check as he gently pressed his lips against those of the latter. They paused briefly enough to steal a glance at each other. A small kiss like that just wasn’t enough. This tension between them had lasted far too long. Their lips clashed together more fervently. Iwa’s tongue grazed Oikawa’s bottom lip anxiously testing how far this new boundary went. Oikawa didn’t hesitate for a moment as they both found their tongues intertwined.  
Tooru broke away as a sharp, excruciating pain radiated from his arm and throughout his body. It was mechanical. Had to be. His right arm stalled as the pressure system failed to release. He swore as he clenched the unresponsive prosthetic. Iwaizumi had to act fast. It took a bit of force to straighten the arm out. The hydraulic base wouldn’t budge without direct aid. Luckily, he came prepared for this sort of thing. Cyborg-friendly synthetic oil was slick enough to get the hydraulic to release the tension and return control of the arm back to its owner.  
Oikawa was visibly frustrated. He knew it. Everyone had been right about him. He went beyond his limit as a human and a mechanical entity. The weight of being an imperfect hybrid really took its toll.   
“Does it still hurt?” The human asked.  
Flexing each individual digit on the bionic arm, Oikawa murmured, “not anymore. It’s nothing I can’t tolerate.”  
There was silence. Iwa had to do something to break it, “can we talk about something?”  
“Like what?”  
“I think you know.”  
“Okay,” Oikawa paused momentarily. “Where do you want to start?”  
Iwaizumi was blunt, “how long have you felt this way?”  
“Longer than I care to admit.” The borg answered.  
“Why didn’t you say anything?”  
Tooru explained, “Coming to terms with myself has been absolute hell. Just being under the impression that something was off made me sick. Besides, I didn’t think you were-”  
“Did you ask?” Hajime interrupted.   
“No…”  
There was a soft knock on the door. To their surprise, it was the android. Any energy Hinata used to possess had completely left him. By the hollow look painted on his face, he only bore bad news. He nervously twirled his ginger hair as he recounted what he found about the burning. While sifting through the dirt and rubble, he found a few intact cameras. He reviewed the footage time and again, pointing out damning evidence towards one source. A young man with a bandaged face and short copper hair, the same who pursued them in flight after Semi failed to subdue them before revealing the transactions done out of the public’s eye, laced the halls with kerosene unbeknownst to the staff. He limped through the halls like a patient in need of help, only to ignite the gas and take off. The attempted hacking of experimental technology. The same etched logo as before. The kidnapping of employees.  
“And you’re positive?” Iwaizumi confirmed.  
Hinata nodded. Only the stars above could have predicted what would have been seen if all the security tapes were functioning. But this was enough. They could put this game of cat and mouse to rest. They could finally end this.  
But oh, how wrong they were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sparing your souls this holiday season, but new year new me... So much angst looms just around the corner...


	18. The Poison Sets In Aided by Venomous Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW for people who are sensitive to mentions of depression and suicide. Things get heavy this go round and I didn't realize I stuffed all this angst into one chapter. Welp. I hope you guys enjoy and thanks for reading!
> 
> PS. Happy Birthday again to KonekoHime, one of my mom friends and beta readers! I know this isn't exactly the best gift... that's it. That's all I can say on that.

Time stood still. Everyone froze in the streets, unable to avert their eyes from the projections on the sky scrapers. There, three men in the armored suits stood over another, hands bound and a gunny sack over his face. Two of them were armed, guns aimed at the victim’s head in case he got any ideas.  
Oikawa had been discharged a matter of days ago, he and the others racing out from hiding into the plaza to get a glimpse of the commotion. Shock and fear washed over them as they came to grip reality.   
The unarmed man in the heavier-built suit stepped forward. With his voice altered, he addressed the new members of the crowd, ‘Iwaizumi, Oikawa. Glad you and your band of imbeciles could join us.’  
It was nauseating to hear this thing communicate with them. They could clearly distinguish their faces amongst the people. They could see them. What’s more is they wanted open communication with them.  
“What the hell do you shitheads want?!” Hajime challenged.  
‘We tried to be nice, but our patience has thinned with you. You can consult your piece of scrap metal if you missed the message.’  
He snarled, quick to defend Tooru, “Leave him out of this.”  
‘I’m afraid we cannot. You both are constantly bombarding my organization, which is why we will be accepting your surrender.’  
“Why would we ever surrender to the likes of you?” Oikawa chimed in.  
‘Let this be your reason!’ The cyborg was irritated at this point with the lack of compliance. Talons swiped at the burlap, piercing through the top and just missing the face of their prisoner. He yanked it upwards to reveal the captive’s identity.   
An all too familiar face caught everyone’s attention, many shrieked in horror. Fiery embers darting between each captor, he swung his tied fists at the presumed leader. His threats were muffled behind the cloth wrapped around his mouth.  
“No way…” Kuroo shook his head.  
Hajime’s voice cracked in disbelief, “Dad?”  
The clawed hand gripped the face of Iwa’s father and redirected his attention to the camera, and supposedly monitors returning feed from the plaza back to them. All color left once he recognized his flesh and blood amongst the civilians. ‘Smile pretty for the camera Iwaizumi-san. You wouldn’t want to upset your boy, would you?’  
“Let him go!” He pleaded.  
‘Then do you choose to accept our deal?’  
Iwaizumi senior objected wildly. He hollered between the boys and the terrorists until he was blue in the face. Not a word could escape his mouth but his intentions were clear. Don’t give in for his sake.  
The five of them remained silent, battling their conflicts with the situation at hand. The rage building up in Hajime was intense. Kenma and Kuroo had the impulse to spring into action yet with no clue where their whereabouts were, they could only stand guard over their team. Hinata’s silent rage was second only to Iwa’s. Clenched fists shook with tension as he gritted his teeth. His creator was in danger and he couldn’t do anything about it.   
Seemingly Oikawa was the only one compliant. He knew there was no debate when it came down to this. He swore to protect Hajime for him and that is what he must do, no matter the circumstances.   
‘Hm? So is that a no?’  
“I, we-”  
‘Time’s up.’ The being backed away from the camera and headed towards the door.  
“What?! No! Wait! Th-that’s not fair!”  
Green spheres pierced through Hajime’s very being, ‘all’s fair in love and war. And this is war, isn’t it?’  
He snapped his fingers as he left and the two armed men who accompanied him were given the word. Iwaizumi’s father struggled to get away only to be beaten down with the butt of a gun. The last thing he saw was the utter defeat in his son’s eyes. Tears ran down his cheeks as he tried to force an apology past the rag.   
“Stop it!”  
One shot to the back of the head was all they needed.  
**  
The world around Iwaizumi collapsed. His head was spinning and before he knew it, he was down on the ground retching. Breathing was difficult between the dry heaves and gross sobbing. The last essence of family he had left. The one he looked up to and aspired to be. The one who cherished him with enough love to compensate for the lack of a complete family.   
Gone.  
“Wake up! Fucking wake up!” He screamed at himself. “This isn’t real! It’s a dream! You’re back at home and he’s going to leave for work tomorrow and everything is as it was! He’s still alive! He’s still there! Wake up! Why won’t you wake up?!”  
It was an unpleasant site. Amidst the panic drawn by the people surrounding them, there was a man far too broken to move. Oikawa was the only one unable to tear himself away. He couldn’t say anything because nothing he said would change the situation.   
Because this was very real.  
The projections flickered back on. The two henchmen dragged the limp body off screen as their leader reentered. He had the gall to casually sit in front of the camera, one leg crossed over the other.   
‘These aren’t games we are playing. We saw straight through your little façade. You need to understand that we mean business. In business, it’s real easy to slip up. And when you do, people can get hurt.’  
Ushiwaka. Oikawa drew the connection from him mentioning he’d spoke with Oikawa alone. Those exact words were drawn from that nightmare. Hell, that nightmare wasn’t a nightmare at all. It was a blatant warning. But how the fuck did he get inside my head like that?  
The cyborg’s demeanor changed. He cocked his head in such a psychotic, playful manner, ‘oh, and Oikawa. I owe my thanks to you. Had you actually intervened in the kidnapping of Iwaizumi senior, we wouldn’t be here today.’  
Wha-what? How did he know…? The impending feeling of doom welled over. He dared not to look at Iwa, and he knew exactly why.  
‘Did I strike a nerve? Ah, I suppose you two have much to discuss then. Given the circumstances, I recommend that you do. I still need to hear back from you both. Though I have nothing of worth for you heathens, it would be in your best interest to consult your new options.’  
Just like that, the screens went black. Iwa rose to his feet. Not a word left his mouth. All hell was about to break loose and there was no stopping it.   
“You… knew?” He seethed.  
It was a rhetorical question that Oikawa knew better than to answer. His gaze remained glued to the ground at his expense.  
“How fucking could you?! You saw something and you did absolutely nothing?!” Iwaizumi blew up at him.   
Tooru did his best to stand his ground without losing his own temper. He stated, “I was following his orders.”  
“What exactly did he say, then? Leave me for dead? Just let me be taken hostage and slaughtered on every telecommunication hub?!”  
“He told me to protect you!” Oikawa snapped back.  
The retaliation on both parts did not let up.  
“And some job you’re doing!”  
“You are the one getting us into this shit! This was not our case to handle!”   
“Maybe if you told the police what you saw instead of handling this like a total dipshit-“  
“You know what? I’m fucking done. If you wanna play hero, do it yourself. You’re so fucking selfish, Hajime.” Tooru cut him off, though he tried to walk away, Iwa kept reeling him back in. He wasn’t finished with him yet.  
“How the hell am I selfish? We took your sorry ass in! Ever since then it’s always been the ‘Oikawa show’!”  
“Because my family deemed me a freak!”  
“They didn’t miss the mark there!” Iwaizumi was hit with instant regret. He didn’t mean it. But it was already too late. He said it whether it was sincere or not. The utter look of betrayal on the cyborg’s face said it all.  
Oikawa’s stare never wavered. Years of suppressed agony had unearthed itself. There was no hiding it any longer. “I was in so much pain. Nothing helped. Not the medicine. Not the surgeries. Especially not your false sympathy. If you really want to understand how greedy you are, just think about how you made your father piece me back together with his unfinished project. I should’ve died back then and, honestly, I really wish I did. The worst part is that you were so indulged in yourself that you have no idea how many times I’ve thought about it. Because I’ve come this close.”  
“Oikawa…” It hit Hajime like a knife in the chest. All this time he never knew. He just assumed everything was okay. He was blinded by his impulses that he didn’t think twice to check on him.   
“I would’ve been better off that way. So go. Go do whatever you like. I’m not going to stop you. If you want me out of your life so badly, then I’ll leave. I’m sorry that I was a burden and I’m sorry that we were ever friends. I’ll be looking for a new place to live so I won’t bother you anymore. Cool?”   
No response.  
“Cool.”  
The brunette had dismissed himself. Iwa tried to go after him, calling out, “Oikawa you can’t-“  
“Shut the hell up!” He shouted back.   
He swiveled around to see the sheer astonishment on the face of the other two cyborgs and android. Hinata in particular resembled a child who had the misfortune of walking in on a heated argument between their parents. He had nothing to say to them. With a running start, Oikawa powered up his boosters and took off.


	19. Call of Silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: More mentions of dark stuff. Pulling deep here. 
> 
> So I decided to post some more. I feel I've run out of steam for the time being and having the motivation of catching y'all up right before school might jump start more writing. Sorry for cursing you all with 5000 years angst but it's just how things are gonna go down. Hope you all still enjoy and thanks for reading!

Retreating back to the hotel, Kuroo, Kenma, and Hinata returned to the room turned completely upside down. Iwaizumi paced around wildly, checking over everything that he undoubtedly already scrutinized. Something had him in such a panic that he hadn’t realized they were there. He jolted upon recognizing them.  
“Kuroo. Please, please tell me you have the keys to the car.” The human begged.  
“Wish we did.” Tetsurou’s tone was a bit sour. “I think we all need to have a talk. That was real low. I mean, I’m sorry and all, but-“  
Hajime’s voice cracked, “No you guys don’t understand!”  
“I think we got the concept.” Kuroo interjected. “Look, if Oikawa wants to take the car for a drive to cool down then let him. You said some pretty asinine things back there.”  
“But he can’t drive.”  
The vigilante put the pieces together. The fear of cars, the out-of-date cybernetic technology, what he said during the fight, the inability to drive. It all adds up.   
‘We have to find him.’ Kenma signed.  
“Let’s go. The longer we wait, the longer he stays missing.” Kuroo took charge, “as a group. We can’t let them win by separating us.”  
They were all in agreement. Kuroo and Kenma mounted their bikes, with Iwa and Hinata piggybacking respectively. They sped off into the night, coasting the eerily abandoned streets. Only street lights were available to guide them.  
Sunshine: We’ll find him.  
CheshireCat: Of course.   
If it weren’t for their interconnected communication technology, they would have driven past him. The car was pulled over to the side of the road on the outskirts of the city. No lights to illuminate the road winding into the thick forest. Iwaizumi hopped off of the bike and made a slow approach to the vehicle. He didn’t know what to say. A lot had been said in those moments. He wouldn’t be given the chance to explain.   
Oikawa sat in the trunk space behind the back seats. Light tapping on the rear window caught his attention.   
“Oikawa, can we talk?” Iwaizumi had a split second to react. The hybrid punched a hole straight through the glass. He was unfazed as he slowly withdrew the mechanical arm. No flesh, no injury. Iwa remained where he stood after dodging the glass shards. “I deserved that. Look, other people are in danger here. We have the coordinates from Kageyama’s Intel. If we can make it to their corporation, we might be able to save whomever we can. But, we can’t do it without you.”  
“I don’t believe a damn word that is coming out of your mouth.” Tooru spat.  
Iwaizumi forced his reply, “and you have reason not to.”   
Oikawa wasn’t backing down. If Hajime wanted a freak, a monster, a heathen, he got one. His one fabricated eye shone bright red in the dark, unwavering aside from an occasional blink. The ambient lighting given off by his suit only worsened the effect. Mutually, Iwa’s rising temper and falling patience bubbled up inside him. He wanted to fix things. He didn’t know how, but he wanted to. Yet he couldn’t think of any truthful apology.  
I don’t see you as a monster. This isn’t you and you know it. You know who you are. Or maybe you don’t. I don’t know anymore! Christ how I wish you’d just talk to me!  
“I’ll do it.” Oikawa stated. “But not for you. I want nothing more than to prove that I’m right. I’m going to break Ushiwaka down into dust. After that, I’m gone.”  
CheshireCat: Well?  
H.Iwaizumi: We’re moving forward.  
CheshireCat: Not what I meant.   
H.Iwaizumi: He’s not going to listen.  
Sunshine: But you were so worried about him. He could’ve gotten really hurt. Don’t you think he deserves to know that? He’s all you have…  
H.Iwaizumi: And he’s the reason for that.  
Emerging from the vehicle, mismatched eyes checked the surroundings. Everyone but Iwaizumi was still there. All orbs were instantly on him. For some reason, after all this, Oikawa still succumbed to the heavy feeling of impending doom. Something bad was bound to happen. Very bad. Yet he embraced it this time.   
****  
Most everyone was resting. Not on an easy conscience, but solely because they had a mission ahead. Up on the roof of the dingy hotel, Tooru never broke away from the skyline due south. Beyond him were the city limits, the forest, the mountains, and the spires awaiting on the other side. Ushiwaka was undoubtedly within. He tore off a piece of old jerky. Eating was more of a chore to keep his thoughts preoccupied and to prevent him wearing down his teeth. He was vigilant and focused, so aware of his surroundings that he picked up on the subtle presence behind him.  
“Want some?” He offered a piece sticking out of the bag.  
Cold hands gently grasped the chunk. “I’ll take it, but I can’t eat it.” Hinata-chan. The android thanked him quietly as he sat crisscrossed beside him. “I don’t mean to be intrusive, but I was informed that you have a set curfew and must, recharge for the night period.”  
“Whatever’s in the suit seems to override it. So long as I leave it on, I can go for days.”  
Shouyou frowned. He fiddled with the dried meat, inspecting it over and noting the patterns of muscle grains. “It’s not safe for you to do that.”  
“It’s not safe for anyone to chug energy drinks but people still do it.” Oikawa scoffed.  
It took a moment of searching through files to find what they really are in order for Hinata to get it. Readying off the ingredients, he seemed horrified. It was almost ironic to see the reaction of a completely synthetic creature to more naturally occurring compounds, when in small doses, can be helpful to a living organism.   
“Why are you really out here, Hinata?”  
“I wanted to know what happened back there.” All emotion left the cyborg’s face as the redhead began rattling off questions. “You guys finally got to be with each other. Why did you withhold information? Whose orders were they? Why did you guys fight like that? Why won’t you talk to each other? Iwaizumi-san is very distraught and he was scared. I don’t know why. What did you mean about the pain and what did you come close to doing?”  
“Take a breather, will you?” The brunette sighed. “I was told by his father to protect him. He wanted me to keep him safe instead of risking our lives trying to save him. I decided not to tell anyone because there was nothing to tell. It was dark and I could barely see. Any evidence I had was as useless as the cops I was spinning it to.”  
Oikawa shifted as the conversation became more intrusive. “How he handled it was his own fucking business. If he was so worried about me, he would have checked in on me years and years ago. As far as I’m concerned, anything between us meant nothing. Hinata, what exactly do you know about me?”  
“I know you are Iwaizumi’s first creation. I was told about the car accident by Hajime recently and how they had to fix you. You used to be all human. You have many medical impairments. You are deaf, you only have one functioning lung, your right arm and leg are missing. You’ve sustained many fractures, lesions, sprains, tissue damage, and organ loss.” All of it was a physical review from what information Hinata could pull from one of the remaining drives from Seijou. It was interesting hearing him explain everything from his perspective.   
“It was a lot of physical and emotional stress. I didn’t- don’t fit in with any crowd. I miss being all human, being weak for all the right reasons. That I could’ve built on. But this has a weight to it like no other. It got to a point where I felt so worn down, so useless. About three years ago I was considering blowing what’s left of my brains out.” Oikawa wheezed as he had the air knocked out of him.   
Shouyou clung tightly to his waist. Saline burned his eyes as they leaked, leaving their corrosive trails behind. He sniffled as he stifled frustrated whimpers. The taller made an effort to comfort him and reassure him that he wasn’t going anywhere, but it wasn’t enough. They both had looked death in the face, and understood how serious this really was.  
When was the last time someone showed this much concern for you? The last time they listened.   
“I can’t lose you too!” He whined. “You’re my friend! You may be harsh and mean sometimes, but that doesn’t change anything! I still care about you. We all do.”  
Mechanical fingers carded over synthetic hair. “I have no intentions on leaving. These thoughts are like poison, ya’ know? You can do what you can to hold it off but this has no clear antidote. It’s only a matter of time.”  
A brisk smack across the cheek. Oikawa was met with the cold stare of the sentient being. He knew what he did and he admitted to earning it. They let everything settle as they returned their attention back to the atmosphere.   
“You ready for this?”


	20. Divided and Conquered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I thought pressing the updates would help... it did, but I started writing something else for a different fandom all together. To be fair, chapter 21 is pretty heavy, and I haven't quite found a good stopping point unless I decide to break the chapter (which I might). Writing may come to a halt as I pick up school work and intern applications and with a con coming up in less than a month, I've become quite the busy body. snk's soundtrack M-04 inspired this one. I hope you all are still enjoying the story, thanks for reading as always!

The sun rose and greeted the forest with a thick layer of condensation just above the ground. They had been off terrain in the high humidity for a while now, yet Kuroo and Kenma had no trouble going forth with their motorcycles. Iwaizumi remained ahead by barely a foot, keeping in a tight formation. He was armed. They all were with what technology remained. Hinata had taken flight, zipping through the dense brush with sparrow-like reflexes.  
Oikawa remained out of line, keeping even with Iwa’s bike. Green eyes flickered between him and the game trail. The borg never spared him a passing glance, and appeared to be going out of his way not to face him.  
Whatever. Don’t talk to me then. You never did back then so it’s like nothing’s changed anyways. Hajime sneered at the thoughts.  
H.Iwaizumi: This is it. Once we break beyond this point, there will be no communications. I’ll shut them off so they have no way of tracking us.  
ChesireCat: Copy.  
BlackPanther: Understood.  
Sunshine: We can do this.  
H.Iwaizumi: Assume positions. Hold them until we reach their facility.  
Oikawa refused to respond, but followed commands as he activated his boosters and took to the skies just above the canopy. He kept watch over them as they pressed on, surveying the land ahead and preventing any angles of potential surprise attacks.  
H.Iwaizumi: Here we go.  
H.Iwaizumi: Ending communications in T minus 10.  
H.Iwaizumi: Now!  
Everything was cut in an instant. It was truly heart-stopping. No connections to the others. No ability to call for help. No vitals monitors. Completely isolated. Nevertheless, this was all a test on their endurance as a team. If they could survive that, they could make it beyond the mountains to the hideout.  
It seemed like it was going that way.  
In a flash Oikawa’s visor was reactivated, connecting him to his team, reactivating electronic programs, and relaying location back to some unknown source.  
Archangel: Are you guys seeing this?!  
H.Iwaizumi: I can’t turn it off! What the hell did you do?!  
Unknown User Detected.  
BlckEgl5_SAT.obj: Found you :]  
Tooru turned to his right. Coming in fast was another airborne assailant under Ushijima’s control. This time, they had no intention of hiding. Bright red hair identified this being as Tendou, Ushiwaka’s supposed right hand. It was him in pursuit after Semi’s screw-up.  
Oh fuck.  
No one had ever seen something move so swiftly. Tendou made a complete U-turn around them, firing a laser blast with enough power to cause a small explosion. Oikawa was knocked clear out of the sky and onto the hard ground. Everyone else was flung this way and that, blinded by the light of the blast.  
Activating resuscitation. The borg took a sharp inhale as his suit issued a minor shock to stimulate breathing. A wave of panic hit him as he swiveled around. He was out in the open with no one to be seen. Satori wouldn’t come alone. He dragged himself behind a now-fallen oak and gathered his surroundings. Just in the nick of time. At least four more shadows loomed overhead as Tendou landed with a loud clang. Crimson eyes shifted, looking for them. None detected. He folded his plated wings back and began to walk off.  
Oikawa checked to see if it was clear and that’s when he noticed Kenma. He was likely injured, certainly frightened.  
Oikawa signed, ‘stay here. Will find the others. Will get Kuroo.’  
Kenma replied, ‘promise me you will?’  
He nodded and made a dash for the nearest cover.  
**  
“Hinata, I need you to calm down.” Iwaizumi yelled in a hushed tone.  
The android muttered to himself. That was all he could do. He was stuck in the trance of the situation, reliving Kageyama’s last moments as if they were his own.  
“They’ll hear us.”  
Metal against ground drew closer to them. Whether it was friend or foe was unknown, but it was safer to assume the worst. They were separated. That’s what they wanted. That’s what they planned the entire time.  
“I can’t take it. I can’t take it.” Shouyou shook his head as he stood. Brown eyes locked on to the cliff edge meters away. Wings spread, he went for it.  
“Hinata no it’s a trap!” Hajime shouted as he scrambled onto his feet. Hintata leapt, Iwaizumi made the jump, barely managing to grab on to a wing panel.  
Oikawa saw everything unfold in slow motion. He reached out to them, too far to intervene. From below, one of Ushijima’s other minions collided with Hinata, snatching the unsuspecting android from the sky. Iwaizumi free-fell for a matter of seconds before the devil himself intercepted.  
“Iwa-chan!” Oikawa shrieked.  
He was seeing red, honed in on that smug bastard’s face as he carted him off. Iwa’s struggle to break free earned him a cold blow to the head, knocking him out. Boosters ready, Oikawa was tempted to initiate a dogfight for them, until an ear-piercing screech echoed through the woods. He’d never heard anything like it, and could only assume it was metal on metal with air forced out between. That’s when it hit.  
Kenma.  
The borg buried himself deep within a tangle of roots, away from his assailant. Tendou had returned not long after the automaton left, and targeted Kozume. Sharp talons dug at the roots, occasionally snapping one and inching ever closer to the imprisoned victim.  
“Here kitty, kitty, kitty!” He mocked. “Don’t you want to play?”  
Oikawa was torn.  
I’m sorry Hinata. Iwa-chan. I made a promise, and I intend to keep it. But I will come back for you both. I promise that.  
Boosters deactivated, Oikawa turned back.  
Satori had extended himself just enough to put a light cut on Kenma’s cheek. He broke away at the revving of a bike engine. He had a split second to react with shock as Kuroo sped over him. The battle was over as quickly as it started.  
And five became three.


	21. Welcome to Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've made you guys wait long enough. I decided to split this chapter just because it was so long and it made sense. I'll be going back and forth between that and the bnha story to keep myself out of the deep end. I'll keep it short tonight, thank you all for reading and hope you guys enjoy as always!

Spitting up dust and dirt, Tendou rose slowly from the spot where he was struck down. He was hoping to go undetected, but Kuroo wasn’t going to let that happen. Satori tried to fly on broken wings. He was slower and uncoordinated and couldn’t get enough altitude to escape. The enraged borg leaped a full three meters and dragged the mechanical being down much like a serval snatching a bird from the sky.   
“You’ve got some balls if you think you’re going to pull that stunt and try to get away.” Tetsurou snarled.   
He wagged a clawed finger at him. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Any second now they’ll be back for me. They wouldn’t in the right mind part with their most valuable asset.”  
“Good. Then we can trade. Your spare parts for our people.” Kuroo wasn’t up for negotiation. He yanked Tendou up by the neck and slammed him against the nearest tree, splintering the wood with the sheer force. “That’s all that will be left of you for touching my Kozume.”  
Red eyes shifted, distress was kicking in. Where were they? Why weren’t they coming?   
“You idiots turn back around! You left me! You left-” Satori gagged. The pressure Kuroo was exerting was obstructing his ability to breathe.   
“Kuroo. Enough”  
“But Oikawa he-“  
“We have something of theirs, right? Something of value?” Oikawa inquired. “He’s coming back with us.”  
As much as Kuroo detested, he saw what the other was getting at. Reluctantly, he dropped Tendou to the ground. Energy-absorbent cuffs were placed around his hands and feet to prevent any other attacks.  
“Try anything, and I will kill you.” Kuroo spoke directly into the hostage’s ear.  
Tendou refused to acknowledge Kuroo on his own account. He had no doubt he would kill him, but the shock of his own leaving him behind was unbearable. They would’ve turned around for him by now. Rather, they left him for dead. They no longer needed him. Discarded. Tossed aside. Rejected like a scratched CD ROM. This wouldn’t settle right, and certainly wouldn’t end well for his former associates.   
Oikawa was distracted. They got this far and this is was what they were walking away with? Unacceptable. He wasn’t ready to accept defeat. He must go beyond. Before anyone could stop him, he flew off in the direction Iwaizumi and Hinata were taken.  
Archangel: If I’m not back by sundown, take Tendou and leave.  
BlckEgl5_SAT.obj: What fun. Oh, and you might want to change your trajectory fifteen degrees to the right, they have a bit of a blind spot.  
Is… Is this asshole serious? He’s actually trying to help? That quickly?  
BlckEgl5_SAT.obj: Back door on the left should be open and unguarded if one wanted to sneak in…  
Archangel: Why should I believe you?  
BlckEgl5_SAT.obj: Got any other inkling as to get where you need to be?  
Well, maybe he’s right. I’ve gone unnoticed this far.   
There it was. The daunting fortress guised as some manufacturing facility. He actually made it unscathed. It wasn’t particularly guarded, but that didn’t mean he was clear. Tooru sprinted for the door. Unlocked and unchecked, as Tendou said. He slipped in as silently as his suit would allow. He couldn’t quite raise hell. Yet.   
Archangel: Now what?  
BlckEgl5_SAT.obj: Can’t talk.  
Archangel: The hell you can. Where did he take everyone? Where are they?  
Unknown User has disconnected.  
Seriously?! Oikawa was irate. For all he knew, he could have been led straight into a trap. Perhaps he assumed too much.   
His visor registered a new message from an untraceable source. Upon opening it, a schematic of the building had been sent. A single blip highlighted a large, open room. Scrolling through the floors, he saw several rooms labeled as locked without cardkey, and one small room in particular marked with a deep red x and in bold lettering, ‘DON’T GO THERE’.   
Fair enough. Oikawa slinked down the alarmingly sterile halls under the cover of the dim fluorescent lights. Take a left. A right. Go up the small stairs on the right side of the hall. Go past the rooms labeled as labs. Round that corner. The double doors have been temporarily disabled.   
He slipped his fingers through the slightly opened door and slowly pulled it open. Everything was dark. Cold. Lifeless. Lamps swinging far above Tooru caught his movement and turned on. Even so, the light barely illuminated anything but what looked like cages. It was as if he was in an oversized animal shelter. The brunette received an unnerving sense that he wasn’t alone.   
The rattling of chains caught his attention. Following the direction of the sound, he gazed into dim yellow orbs. What appeared animalistic at first glance became more human as they slowly approached. All the same they growled at the strange new face. It ceased.   
The creature had a hard time speaking for one reason or another, “I know you… Oikawa?”  
He was confused. “How do you know my name?”  
“From Seijou… you were always there when I had my spinal appointments.”  
Why did that sound so familiar? Recalling the hospital days were never fun and he did his best to suppress those times. Who was it that was there? It was rare to see other kids his age, especially one who wasn’t Hajime. Spine, back. Someone who had a back problem. At that moment it came back to him.  
**  
Iwaizumi’s father ruffled Oikawa’s hair, “let me clear a room for you and we’ll get you fixed up, buddy. You’re doing great. Can’t believe you’ve already grown out of your first set of attachments.”  
Tooru sat patiently in the waiting room with not much to do. There were some magazines geared more towards adults, and the typical bead in the loop toy that seems to be at every hospital. Nothing in between for anyone his age.   
That is until the chilly spring wind blew in a woman and her son. She sat him down a few seats away and walked to the check-in to fill out any necessary forms for the appointment. The black-haired boy sat on his own, fiddling with small things in his jacket pockets.  
“Hi.” Oikawa greeted him.  
The boy responded under his breath. “Hello.”  
“I’m Oikawa Tooru. What’s your name?” It was the typical extrovert meets introvert situation.  
“Kyoutani Kentarou.”  
“Kyou-Ken.” Oikawa repeated the name with an almost sing song tone. “That sounds an awful lot like-”  
**   
“Mad Dog.”


	22. A Light in the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am sooo sorry for not updating sooner. Again this stuff has gotten really heavy and it was difficult to write until now. I promise I will keep up more between everything I'm doing this summer. I'd love to have it finished by the end of this year if I can. Thank you for sticking with me for the wait and I hope you enjoy reading!

“Mad Dog.” The cyborg sounded defeated at the recognition of an old friend.  
He hung his head in shame, “the very same.”  
Mad Dog stepped forth slowly. Now exposed under the dim light was a diminished entity. No longer was he human. But a forced creation of a mad man. His arms once flesh were replaced by alloy, which were then forcibly removed. The damage still visible and an occasional spark leaping from the exposed wires. His face scarred and imprisoned behind jaws like a bear trap.   
Oikawa’s voice shook, “what did they do to you?”  
“I was kidnapped and brought to this shitfest. I tried to escape but he showed up. He’s the one who did this to me. Did this to us.” Mad Dog grimaced.  
Us? What did he mean us? No… No…  
Looking around the room, the cages came to life with shifting shadows. Some illuminated spheres staring back at him. They were unsure of how to react. Was this new face their savior or their punisher? Was he going to pick them off one by one or lead them to freedom? They were silent out of fear.  
Tooru settled on more familiar forms backed away across from Kyoutani.   
“Oikawa don’t bother them.” Mad Dog warned.  
“But that’s Makki and Mattsun.”  
Mad Dog had panic in his voice. “I’m telling you they are not who you think they are. They’ve changed. Don’t.”  
Tooru didn’t listen. Cautiously, he approached the huddled mass that was Mattsun. He was trembling, seemingly too afraid to look up. He certainly had work done on himself. Both arms were replaced, shackled, though his right hand was missing.   
“Mattsun, it’s me. I-I, I’m going to get you out of here. Can you stand?” Oikawa reached a hand out to him.  
“Oikawa back up!” Mad Dog yelled.   
Red glow shifted upwards. Tooru saw his intentions too late. Matsukawa lunged right for him. Mad Dog foresaw the attack and metal jaws latched on to the borg’s arm. Mattsun wasn’t giving in that easily. He snagged Oikawa by the opposite arm, preventing a hasty retreat as he dragged the arm closer to his face. There was no bargaining with his former acquaintance. Oikawa gathered himself enough to resist and break away.  
Kyoutani released him once they were within a safe distance from Mattsun. He promptly apologized for any damage, but immediately took it back by pointing out the stupidity in Oikawa’s actions.   
Oikawa flexed his now freed arm. “Did he just?”  
“Try to bite you, yes.” Kentarou affirmed. “I told you, they’ve changed. They were in bad shape when they arrived. Whatever they were administered made it worse.”  
“Slow down for a minute.” Oikawa prompted. “None of this makes sense. They were taken to a hospital after they were rescued.”  
A meek voice rang out from a dark corner, just beyond Mattsun’s reach, “is that what they let you think?”  
Sparking remains of metallic arms drudged the attached body along the wall of the first set of prisons. Issei kept a close eye on the figure, waiting for him to make one false step. One slip up. He got to him before on multiple occasions, to the point where the guards had no choice but to separate them. Pushed to the limits of the cords and cables ensnaring the poor thing, he halted just a body’s length away. His head remained bowed in submission, but he didn’t need to reveal his face for them to understand who he was. The salmon-colored hair was unmistakable.   
“Makki? What did they do to you? To them?” Oikawa couldn’t keep a solid tone. There was a tremble in his voice, whether it was fear or anger was unbeknownst to him.  
He shook his head. “Something horrible. The details I can’t spare. He’s testing things on us like we’re some kind of lab rats. Turning us into weapons.”  
“But it backfired on his ass since he couldn’t remove our free will. All of us retaliated in one way or another.” Mad Dog sneered. “Killed at least two of ‘em but the king of bastards is something otherworldly.”  
Issei jeered. “You know you can’t win.”  
Mad Dog snapped back at Mattsun, “Shut up you rusting piece of shit!”  
The demented borg shifted, taking the challenge. “Shame that he already took your arms.”  
“Yours will be next if you don’t shut the fuck up!” Metal jaws gritted together.  
Oikawa shook his head, “enough. That’s enough!”   
Everything went silent and all eyes were on the outsider. Tooru clenched his fists as he shouted to the endangered people, “I may be just one man, but I swear to all of you I will free you! I have to go so I can bring back help. You all have my word that I will return and you all will be safe.”  
He raised his fist to the air as the borgs cheered. They hushed down collectively to not draw attention from the outside. With that, Oikawa swiveled on his heels and slinked out the way he came. He had vital Intel to give to his cohorts and it would definitely put the favor in their court.   
“Oikawa.” Mad Dog uttered the other man’s name. Oikawa immediately turned to him and have him his full undivided attention. “We have faith in you. Stay safe. And when shit hits the fan, I get the fucker’s last breath.”  
The borg nodded and forced a grin. Still the same old Kyoutani. It was night by the time Oikawa reached the exit and slipped away into the dark. Kuroo met up with him and sped off alongside the airborne automaton. Kenma and Hinata brought their hostage to the temporary base, an off-grid Seijou location meant for experiments and equipment testing. Tetsurou was ready to singlehandedly wage war on Shiratorizawa had Tooru not returned at that moment. Back at the rendezvous site, they had information to review, and more information to squeeze out of their captive.


End file.
